The Kenyan government has announced that it will allow African tourists to enter the country without a visaThe nation’s goal is to facilitate more smooth cross-border trade and promote visa liberalization among African nationsOver the past ten years, Africa has struggled to implement this policy, which has drawn criticism from stakeholders
Henzodaily.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
In an attempt to promote openness and integration, the Kenyan government has declared its intention to grant visa-free entry to African visitors.
Many African nations continue to impose stringent visa requirements on one another. Photo Credit: Contributor
Source: Getty Images
BBC reported that a cabinet statement said the ETA would be dropped for all African countries except Somalia and Libya due to security concerns.
The country’s objective of encouraging visa openness among African countries and enabling more seamless cross-border transactions and business operations is in line with this visa-free program.
The term “visa-free access within Africa” describes laws or agreements that allow nationals of one African nation to visit another without a visa or by completing streamlined visa applications.
Read also
Five Donald Trump’s executive orders that may affect Nigeria, others and why
However, the continent has had difficulty implementing this policy over the last ten years, which has led to criticism from stakeholders.
Many African states still have strict visa restrictions for one another, which significantly hinders free movement and regional integration, even though some foreign nations are granted visa-free entry to African countries.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) claims that the continent’s ambitions for regional integration and unity are glaringly at odds with the continued requirement that Africans get visas in order to travel inside it.
Africa’s visa openness status
Only five African countries—Ghana, Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin—permitted visa-free travel to nationals of other African countries prior to Kenya’s announcement of this policy.
The country was not one of the top 10 nations on the African Visa Openness Index last year.
Kenya, which was previously placed 46th out of 54 African nations, suffered a sharp drop in the index, falling 17 spots.
Read also
Trump’s climate retreat shines light on other green leaders
The African Union Commission and the African Development Bank created the African Visa Openness Index, which measures how simple it is for African nationals to travel to other countries on the continent.
With visa-free travel for citizens of 53 African countries, Benin, Seychelles, Rwanda, and The Gambia topped the rankings.
In December, Ghana opened its borders to visitors from all around the continent, joining the group.
Kenya seeks open borders
Kenya lowered the cost of visas from $50 to $30 last year when it launched its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program.
Visitors had to apply online, though, and it may take up to three days for their application to be approved.
Those who criticized this development for not living up to the aspirations of visa openness called it a “visa under another name.”
According to a BBC report, Kenya has issued a new cabinet directive that will allow nationals of almost all African nations to visit the country without prior permission.
Read also
CBN shares plan for 2025, lists forex, remittance, others
Citing security concerns, a cabinet statement stated that all African nations—aside from Somalia and Libya—will no longer be required to meet the ETA.
In accordance with the bloc’s regulation, East African Community members—which include Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi—will also be allowed to remain for a maximum of six months.
Kenya intends to establish an improved procedure that allows for immediate travel approval, with a maximum processing time of 72 hours, even though no specific date has been set for the policy’s implementation.
Top African countries with visa-free travel
Henzodaily.ng reported that the movement for visa-free travel across Africa is gaining momentum, with countries like Rwanda and Kenya recently opening their borders to all African citizens.
This effort aims to boost unity, economic growth, and cultural exchange on the continent.
While visa-free travel isn’t yet universal in Africa, some countries have fully embraced it.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
Source: Henzodaily.ng