In January this year, Kenya waived visa requirements for travelers from all over the world. In December this year, Kenyan President William Ruto announced the decision to abolish visas for all tourists at the beginning of 2024.
Kenya’s historic move to open its borders to travelers from around the world could spur growth in the country’s tourism industry. Except there are some big pitfalls that end up hurting the industry and the country’s economy instead of boosting it.
Inside Kenya’s new visa-free policy
Last year, during the 60th Jamfri Day celebrations in Nairobi, President Ruto announced that there would be no need for a visa to enter Kenya. Kenya’s decision to waive visas and open its borders to citizens of the world largely followed another declaration by the president in Congo-Brazzaville last October. It was then that he first proposed the need for visa-free travel between African countries. He promised that Kenya would implement visa-free travel for all Africans by the end of the year.
In a speech announcing the latest groundbreaking movement, President Ruto said: “As the President of this special country, I am very pleased to make this historic announcement of the Kenyan government’s decision. From January 2024, Kenya will become a visa-free country.”
“People from all parts of the world no longer have to carry the burden of applying for a visa to come to Kenya. To make the Turkana people’s call, ‘Tobonwu lore!’, resonate around the world. Kenya has a simple message for humanity: “Welcome home!” he added.
This now iconic speech quickly went viral. With moves to promote steady social and economic development, it seemed that this country was finally entering an era of globalization.
Kenya’s tourism industry could also receive a boost. Although an African safari is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists, traveling to and through the African continent comes with its own set of logistical challenges. Obtaining a visa just adds all the costs and paperwork. Netizens praised Kenya’s bold decision.
That is until everyone starts noticing the fine print.
In his speech, President Ruto said the country has developed a new platform to identify and track incoming travelers. You no longer need a visa to enter Kenya, but you now need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from a digital site. An ETA is basically a simplified form of visa and there is a fee involved.
ETA is technically for security reasons. It will help maintain a database of immigration and immigration. The process of obtaining an ETA can be so complicated that even a visa seems easy to obtain.
Under the new ETA system, people from countries that previously did not require a visa to enter Kenya will now have to pay between $34 and $52 upon entry like everyone else.
Before this policy was introduced, visas were not required for individuals of 51 different nationalities. Nowadays, travelers have to go through a cumbersome process of providing flight details and proof of hotel reservations before they travel. You must then wait 72 hours to obtain electronic authorization to travel to the country.
For all of this to work, you need to know your arrival and departure dates well in advance to apply for permits. The current system can cause problems when people need to be moved during emergencies.
People from the East African Community (EAC) are exempt from the rules and do not have to go through the lengthy process of obtaining an ETA before entering Kenya. This new policy will also benefit people who previously had to pay more for their visas.
Those who already have an e-visa for travel to East Africa also do not need to apply for an ETA. But just about everyone else will have to bear the brunt of the blow. Children under 16, who previously did not need a visa to enter the country, will now have to pay a fee to obtain an ETA.
The impact of this move may not be limited to additional paperwork and new costs that could deter travelers from visiting Japan in the near future. The 51 countries that previously didn’t require visas, and others who were left out in the bargain under the deal, could retaliate. After all, Kenyans need to travel too. And in countries where travel to Kenya has become much more difficult than before, Kenyans may face similar difficulties entering the state.
