Summary:
- Kenya’s President William Ruto announced that starting January, visitors worldwide will no longer need a visa, thanks to a newly developed digital platform providing electronic travel authorization in advance, aiming to boost tourism and eliminate the visa application burden.
Visitors to Kenya from across the world will no longer require a visa from January, President William Ruto said on Tuesday.
Ruto said his government had developed a digital platform to ensure all visitors would receive an electronic travel authorisation in advance, instead of needing to apply for a visa.
“It shall no longer be necessary for any person from any corner of the globe to carry the burden of applying for a visa to come to Kenya,” he said in a speech in the capital Nairobi at an event to mark 60 years of independence from Britain.
Ruto has long advocated for visa-free travel within the African continent.
At a conference in the Republic of Congo in October he said people from African countries would not require a visa to visit Kenya by the end of 2023.
The tourism industry plays a vital role in Kenya’s economy, offering beach holidays along its Indian Ocean coastline and wildlife safaris inland.
“Kenya has a simple message to humanity: Welcome Home!” he said.
