Kenya’s Visa Openness Ranking Declines Despite “Visa-Free” Policy, Report Finds

Kenya’s standing in the most recent assessment of its accessibility to travelers from other African nations has significantly fallen, even after implementing a “visa-free policy” earlier in the year. The country’s position decreased by 17 spots, placing it 46th among 54 countries, according to the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI). In the previous year, President William Ruto received considerable commendation for declaring that Kenya would eliminate visa mandates for all continental visitors. However, in lieu of traditional visas, the majority of travelers are now required to submit an online application for authorization prior to their departure, a system that some critics have labeled as “a visa under another name”. This mechanism, officially termed the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), assesses applicants’ eligibility for entry into Kenya and can require up to three days for processing. Nationals of the East African Community regional bloc are not subject to this requirement. The AVOI, which receives backing from the African Union and is managed by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), assesses the ease of access to African nations based on their visa regulations. The index states that Kenya’s “requirement for ETAs prior to travel for most travellers from other African countries lowered [its] score”. Reflecting on the continent as a whole, AfDB director Joy Kategekwa commented that the persistent need for “Africans to require visas for the most part to enter other African countries is one of the most profound contradictions to the continent’s aspirations on regional integration”. She also highlighted that the report “investigates the question of [ETAs] which, notwithstanding intent, resemble features of a visa”. The report indicates that the “introduction of ETAs by some countries added additional layers of requirements to the traveller and did not facilitate ease of movement”. In October of last year, President Ruto announced that Kenya would become “visa-free” starting in January of the current year, emphasizing the country’s status as “the cradle of mankind”. Nevertheless, this recent ranking has not astonished certain Kenyans. “I did raise this very matter in January 2024,” stated Mohamed Hersi, a hotelier and former chairman of the Kenya Tourism Federation. In January, Mr. Hersi asserted that the ETA was “not the same as visa-free” and could complicate travel for prospective visitors to the nation. Other individuals have advocated for an alteration in the policy. “The ETA isn’t progress—it’s still a visa, adding another bureaucratic layer and making travel to Kenya harder, not easier. Time for a serious rethink on accessibility,” remarked Kenyan entrepreneur Gina Din. Required documentation for an ETA encompasses flight information and evidence of a hotel reservation. With the exception of EAC citizens, all travelers are now mandated to pay $30 (£24), which grants validity for 90 days. Prior to this, travelers had the option to pay $50 for a multiple-entry visa that could remain valid for several years. Before the implementation of the ETA, visitors from over 40 countries, including numerous African nations, could arrive in Kenya, receive a passport stamp, and gain entry without incurring a fee. However, a security aspect underpinned the introduction of this new system. A government spokesperson informed the BBC earlier in the year that the ETA was essential for screening travelers. “Terrorism is one of the global threats at the moment, so we need mechanisms to ensure everyone who is coming to Kenya is [not a risk] to the country,” he stated. Kenya has experienced multiple well-known attacks perpetrated by al-Shabab jihadist militants originating from neighboring Somalia. Nevertheless, considering the total number of individuals traveling to Kenya, both from Africa and other regions, the ETA does not seem to have deterred tourists. The nation received over a million international visitors during the first half of 2024, marking a 21% rise compared to the previous year, as reported by the Kenya Tourism Board. The AVOI indicates that Benin, The Gambia, Rwanda, and the Seychelles hold the top positions for visa openness, where African citizens do not need visas for entry. Sudan occupies the lowest rank in the index, succeeded by Libya, Equatorial Guinea, and Eritrea. The report’s authors observe that, on the whole, despite positive developments in certain areas, the continent’s collective score has experienced a slight decrease.