President William Ruto has stated that by the end of the year, Kenya will no longer require visas for any tourists from Africa.
President Ruto made this declaration during a global meeting that 1Family Radio monitored in Congo-Brazzaville.
“It is time we realized that having visa restrictions amongst ourselves is working against us,” he revealed.
For the past ten years, the African Union (AU) has sought to provide visa-free travel throughout the continent.
Although there are bilateral agreements and regional agreements, there has been little progress in the direction of no restrictions.
According to 2022 AU-backed research, the only countries that allow admission to all African residents without a visa are the Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin.
However, the majority of countries are making progress toward streamlining entry procedures and removing limitations for some other countries, according to Africa’s Visa Openness Index, which gauges the degree to which each country in Africa is open to travelers from other African countries.
Kenya was placed 31st out of 54 states in the ranking in 2022. President Ruto, however, feels that this is detrimental to business.
“When people cannot travel, businesspeople cannot travel, and entrepreneurs cannot travel, we all become net losers,’’ he asserted.
“Let me say this: As Kenya, by the end of this year, no African will be required to have a visa to come to Kenya.’’
“Our children from this continent should not be locked in borders in Europe and also be locked in borders in Africa,’’ he added.
Source: 1Familyradio