Kenya to Abolish Visa Requirements for All African Visitors by Year-end, Announces President Ruto

In a significant development, President William Ruto of Kenya announced that the country will eliminate visa requirements for all African visitors by the end of this year. He made this groundbreaking announcement during an international conference, emphasizing the need for Africa to move away from visa restrictions that hinder the continent’s progress.

Visa-free travel within Africa has long been a goal of the African Union (AU), with the aim of fostering unity and encouraging intra-African travel. While certain regional and bilateral agreements have eased travel between specific countries, the overall progress towards completely unrestricted travel within the continent has been sluggish.

As of 2022, only three African nations, namely Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin, allow entry to all African citizens without requiring a visa, according to a report supported by the AU. However, Africa’s Visa Openness Index, which assesses the extent of openness of each African country to visitors from other African nations, indicates that most countries are gradually simplifying entry processes and reducing restrictions on travelers from other nations.

Kenya, for instance, was ranked 31st out of 54 African states on the Visa Openness Index in 2022. President Ruto asserted during his address in Congo-Brazzaville that visa restrictions hindered business activities and affected economic growth.

The president stated, “When people cannot travel, businesspeople cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel, we all become net losers. As Kenya, by the end of this year, no African will be required to have a visa to come to Kenya.”

He highlighted the importance of allowing the youth of Africa to freely explore the continent and not be confined by borders, whether in Europe or within Africa. The president’s announcement was met with enthusiastic cheers from the conference attendees.

The African Union introduced the African passport in 2016, with the vision of enabling all African citizens to travel across the continent without the need for visas. However, the widespread implementation of this initiative has been delayed due to concerns related to security, smuggling, and potential impacts on local employment markets.

While eliminating all visa restrictions remains a formidable challenge, the Visa Openness Index report recommends several alternative measures, including reducing visa fees, standardizing visa-on-arrival for African visitors, and implementing a secure e-visa system. These steps aim to simplify and encourage intra-African travel and economic integration.

As Kenya takes a bold step towards ending visa requirements for African visitors, the move is expected to support the AU’s vision of a united and interconnected African continent.