Kenya records 40 per cent rise in foreign visitors after abolishing visa requirement

Kenya has recorded a 40 per cent rise in foreign visitors numbers in the last three months compared to numbers recorded before the removal of the visa requirement.

Immigration and Citizen Services Permanent Secretary Julius Bitok now says that the country has received more than 350,000 visitors to the country since the new policy shift was effected.

"We have been able to receive more than 350,000 visitors in the last three months and it is 40 per cent higher than when we had e-visa, so clearly the new policy by President William Ruto to make the country visa-free is paying off," said Prof Bitok.

The government's move to abolish visa requirements was followed by the introduction of an electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) requirement as a security measure.

The ETA, determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to Kenya and offers permission to travel but does not determine whether a traveller is admissible to enter Kenya, that is a prerogative of the immigration officials, who determine admissibility upon travelers' arrival.

A visitor has to pay USD30 to have the document processed, at least 72 hours before travel.

"I want to say eTA is not a visa but a document that is digitally acquired for pre-screening to know who is coming in. Its implementation has been very successful, and the people coming in are happy they are now able to come in seamlessly in a very simple way and we can collect their details in advance," added the PS.

eTA applications

The Department of Immigration recommends travellers make their eTA applications at least two weeks before the travel date.

All foreigners are required to apply for the document apart from passport holders from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Only citizens from Ethiopia, the Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Eritrea, Mozambique, San Marino and South Africa are exempted from the requirement.

The five countries had signed visa exemption deals with Kenya in the last year.

At the onset, the eTA requirement received heavy criticism from frequent travellers and persons seeking to take advantage of the visa-free policy to tour the country following delays in its processing and the requirement to pay for its access.

Speaking during the opening of the inaugural national border management conference attended by all its immediate neighbours including Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia earlier last week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki called for calm as efforts are made to make the process faster.

"The little matter about the electronic Travel Authorisation is just to know who is coming back home so that we can prepare for your homecoming and treat you well and also prevent those who may want to take advantage of coming home for other intentions, to prevent them from coming," he said.

"I know we have some administrative and procedural issues we are dealing with gradually and we will straighten up that space to make sure we make it much easier for anybody visiting Kenya to come freely and also leave freely when it's their time to go to other destinations."