Africans will no longer need to obtain a visa before traveling to Kenya.
When taking office for his second term, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that African citizens wishing to visit Kenya will now be able to receive a visa upon arrival.
In doing so, Nairobi intends to boost trade between the East African country and the rest of the continent. Also, will it facilitate intra-continental trips. Kenya already had one of the simplest online procedures for obtaining short-term visas.
“The free movement of people on our continent has always been the cornerstone of the pan-African fraternity,” said the Kenyan president. “The more we will be free to travel and live together, the more we will be integrated and the better we will be able to appreciate our diversity,” he added.
Traveling to Africa or going to another continent is a puzzle for Africans who have the less “powerful” passports in the world. Even North Americans and Europeans find it easier to travel on the continent than most Africans. But over the last two years, the African Union and other institutions have made efforts to make the movement of African citizens on the continent easier.
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), at least 21 countries have eased or abolished restrictions they applied on visas. In addition to Seychelles, Ghana, Rwanda, Mauritius, Nigeria and Benin have all adopted this visa-free policy over the past two years. The African Union also launched a continental passport last year as part of its initiative to encourage open borders.