Kenya will enable citizens from nearly all African countries to visit without prior approval (ETA) according to a new cabinet order. On Tuesday, a cabinet statement stated that the ETA would be dropped in all African countries except Somalia and Libya due to security concerns. It stated that this was related to “efforts to support open skies policies and tourism growth” plus “promote regional integration and ease travel across the continent” .
Citizens of most African nations will be able to visit Kenya without an ETA for up to two months under the new arrangement. Members of the East African Community which includes Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi can stay for up to six months in accordance with the bloc’s policies.
Visa Free Policy:
Last year, Kenya implemented a “visa-free” policy requiring most visitors to request for approval online before departing the country. However, the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) which abolished the visa requirement for all visitors was criticized as a “visa under another name”.
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Several African countries have also tried to make travel more convenient for visitors. Earlier this year, Ghana announced that all African passport holders would henceforth be able to visit without a visa. African travellers to Rwanda do not require a visa to enter the nation.
