Larry Madowo Slams Ruto For Kenya’s Visa-Free Hoax
Kenya has been listed as one of Africa’s lowest 10 countries for visa-free access. According to the latest Visa Openness Index 2024, Kenya is rated 46th out of 54 countries on the continent.
Kenya received an Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) score of 0.113, which measures the ease with which African residents can travel to other African nations.
AVOI assesses the extent to which African countries welcome tourists from other African countries.
It is computed by averaging individual scores for the country’s visa policy as applied to citizens of all other African countries.
BREAKING: Benin, Seychelles, Rwanda, and The Gambia maintain top position as the only fully visa-free countries for all Africans.
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) November 25, 2024
Kenya ranks near the bottom of countries in Africa Visa Openness Index 2024. The ETA is a visa and it made it harder to visit, not easier pic.twitter.com/IHGbL4Ufvb
According to the research, Kenya’s visa processing delays were much longer than its regional peers, who had streamlined their processes to allow for faster approvals.
The AVOI assesses how accessible countries are to tourists based on visa policies.
The ranking is based on factors such as visa application convenience, the number of countries that can be visited without a visa, and the overall effectiveness of visa processing systems.
High visa fees are one major issue that has brought Kenya to the lowest quartile. It is clear that as fees rise, fewer visitors opt to visit the country.
CNN journalist Larry Madowo expressed concern over Kenya’s low position and the exorbitant immigration fees.
“In May, I explained to President Ruto why the ETA isn’t working as he promised. He insisted that Kenya is now visa-free even though it isn’t. Now we have data with receipts to prove my point,” he stated.
I told President William Ruto that Kenya's Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) made it harder to visit.
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) May 19, 2024
He maintained that Kenya is now visa-free pic.twitter.com/TU4fWf8Swm
Rwanda, for example, ranked first in East Africa due to its visa policy, which allows citizens of the African Union (AU), Commonwealth, and La Francophonie countries to get free visas upon arrival in Rwanda for stays of up to thirty days.
Benin and Seychelles, Rwanda, and The Gambia remained the only countries that did not require a visa for all African citizens.
The simplicity with which the application process can be completed also contributes significantly to the overall openness of a country’s visa system.
According to the research, applicants in bottom-quartile nations faced problems such as unclear guidelines and insufficient support during the application process.
Africa will not meet its development aspirations in the absence of regimes that promote mobility across the continent. This came out at the launch of the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index Report in Gaborone, Botswana. pic.twitter.com/L5318eZ9tN
— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 25, 2024
In contrast, Kenya’s bordering countries have implemented more liberal visa procedures, making them more appealing as tourist destinations.
Rwanda has implemented an e-visa system, which enables speedy online applications and approvals. At the same time, Uganda improved visa procedures by introducing electronic visas and dramatically cutting wait times.
The improvements indicate a trend among several African nations toward more openness and accessibility, which contrasts significantly with Kenya’s current status, which lags behind its African rivals in terms of visa processing efficiency.
ALSO READ:
- Parliament Passes VAT Bill For Petroleum, Slashes It To 8%
- Oburu’s ODM Blasts UDA Over Infiltrating ‘Their’ Zone, Demands Respect
- Safaricom Issues Statement After MyOneApp’s Negative Feedback
- IEBC Announces 16 Additional Diaspora Voting Countries
- EXPLAINER: KRA’s New 3-Step Filing Process For Kenyans; How It Works
Of the continent’s 54 countries, 17 have improved their AVOI scores in the last year, adding to the 15 that improved in the previous edition.
President William Ruto announced in October a new project that will allow foreign travelers in transit to explore the country without requiring a visa.
He unveiled the Transit and Long Connection Travellers Electronic Travel Authorization, which would allow passengers with layovers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to leave the airport and explore Nairobi and its surroundings.
“Travellers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with time between connection flights will therefore now be able to immerse themselves in Magical Kenya instead of waiting at the terminals,” Ruto stated.
Larry Madowo Slams Ruto For Kenya’s Visa-Free Hoax
