Despite announcing earlier that it would welcome global travelers without visas, Kenya has unexpectedly changed its mind.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said that visitors who want to travel to Kenya must apply for visas through Kenyan embassies, as they have done before. The KCAA explained that this was in line with President Ruto’s decision to reverse the visa-free policy.
The KCAA also said that it was working on an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system that would be launched soon, but until then, travelers from countries that need visas must follow the old process.
The KCAA did not give a specific date for when the visa-free system would be implemented. This change came after Ruto had announced on December 12 that he would scrap visa requirements for all international visitors from January 1.
At a ceremony marking Kenya’s 60th anniversary of independence from Britain, the president said he wanted to remove visa barriers for everyone, especially for Africans, as he supported visa-free travel across the continent.
He had also said earlier that he planned to let African citizens visit Kenya without visas by the end of the year.
He had said, “Kenya has a simple message to humanity: Welcome Home!
