Contrary to expectations following the government’s promotion of Kenya as a visa-free destination, the East African nation has been ranked 46th out of 54 countries on the continent, according to the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI).
The AVOI, which measures the extent to which African countries are open to visitors from other African countries, assigned Kenya a score of 0.113. This reflects the challenges faced by African citizens when attempting to travel to Kenya, despite recent policy changes aimed at facilitating easier entry.
The country’s poor ranking can be largely attributed to the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system at the start of the year, which replaced traditional visas. While the government touted this as a move towards visa-free travel, the AVOI report suggests that it has the opposite effect.
The ETA requirement, which costs Sh3,885 ($30) and necessitates prior approval for many African travelers, has been criticized for reducing openness rather than enhancing it.
The current administration implemented the visa-free policy alongside the ETA requirements with the aim of attracting more visitors and boosting tourism revenue.
However, the system has faced criticism for being cumbersome, with some travelers reporting that the ETA authorization process takes longer than the previous visa application procedure. The ETA, which is for single entry and valid for 90 days, takes up to three days to process.
Benin, Gambia, Rwanda, and Seychelles have jointly come out as the leading countries on the rank, as the only fully visa-free countries for all Africans. When compared to Kenya, which only allows visitors from less than 10 African countries to enter its shores visa-free, these four are leaps ahead.
They have managed to stay one step ahead of other African countries thanks to consistently maintaining liberal visa policies, which create a stable and predictable environment for travelers.
In fact, Kenya’s regional counterparts also outperformed it in the index. Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda all ranked higher, highlighting the disparity in visa openness within the East African Community. Kenya’s position is particularly striking given its role as a regional economic powerhouse and its advocacy for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Overall, Africa witnessed a slight improvement in enhancing visa openness, with more countries taking steps to facilitate intra-regional travel. The report states that 48 out of the 54 countries, offer visa-free entry privileges to the citizens of at least one other African country, representing a significant increase from previous years.
By promoting intra-regional travel, Africa has the potential to achieve its development aspirations, particularly in sectors such as tourism and industrialization.
According to Joy Kategekwa, the director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office of the African Development Bank (AfDB), visa restrictions make it difficult for Africans to contribute to each other’s tourism revenues and hinder the movement of skills necessary for managing industrial operations.
Ruto’s administration continues to fail in its policies. As another project takes a turn for the worse, it serves as another wake-up call, something the government seems oblivious to. While the intention behind the ETA system may have been to streamline entry procedures, its implementation appears to have created new barriers for African travellers.
Kenya now faces the challenge of balancing security concerns with the need for greater openness to facilitate regional integration and economic growth. To improve its standing and truly embrace the spirit of African integration, Kenya may need to reassess its ETA system.
Potential improvements could include reducing the cost, simplifying the application process, or considering exemptions for more African countries.
Borrowing a leaf from the top-performing countries could enhance the nation’s attractiveness as a destination for African travellers and better position itself as a champion of continental free movement.
Kenya plays a crucial role in shaping the future of intra-African travel and cooperation. This index should be a stark reminder that policy intentions must be carefully implemented to achieve the desired outcomes of openness and accessibility.
