President William Ruto announced on December 12, 2023, that Kenya would become visa-free starting January 1 of the following year. However, the implementation of this policy has not taken effect, as the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has declared that all foreigners must still apply for visas, maintaining the previous procedure.
In his address, the head of state mentioned the development of a new digital platform aimed at identifying travelers in advance. According to a statement issued by the KCAA on Tuesday, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system is still in the process of being developed.
The ETA system is an automated mechanism determining the eligibility of visitors to travel to a specific country without the need for a traditional visa. It serves as an electronic permission that travelers must acquire before boarding a flight or entering the destination country. In the case of Kenya, it was intended to control the influx of travelers once the visa requirement was lifted.
On Tuesday, Kenya announced the postponement of President William Ruto’s directive to grant visa-free entries to the global community. Travelers intending to visit the country will continue to be obligated to apply for visas through Kenyan embassies, adhering to the existing visa application process.
The KCAA stated, “Following the presidential directive that Kenya will be a visa-free country from January 2024, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system is in the process of development and implementation. All travelers coming to Kenya from countries that require visas shall continue applying for visas in the usual manner until the government communicates the change program to the ETA system.”
The KCAA also indicated that the implementation date for the new system will be communicated at a later date.
