Kenya relax travel requirements for nearly all African visitors
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Citizens of almost all di kontris for Africa go fit visit Kenya without any prior authorisation, according to one new directive from di cabinet.
Last year, Kenya bin introduce one "visa-free" policy wey require most visitors to apply online for authorisation bifor dem comot dia kontri.
But pipo kwesion di introduction of di Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), wey replace di visa requirement for all visitors, dem say na "visa under anoda name".
On Tuesday, one cabinet statement say goment go drop di ETA for "all African kontris except Somalia and Libya – sake of security concerns".
Di statement tok say, dis na part of "efforts to support open skies policies and tourism growth" and "promote regional integration and ease travel across di continent".
Even wit di introduction of di ETA, Kenya no try at all for di latest ranking of how open dem be to visitors, di kontri rank 46th out of 54 nations for di 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index.
Several African kontris don try to relax travel requirements for visitors from oda parts for di continent in recent years, as studies show say e dey easier for citizens of Western kontris to visit.
Earlier dis year, Ghana tok say now, all African passport holders go fit visit di kontri without visa.
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
African visitors to Rwanda also no go need visa to enta di kontri.
Di African Union (AU) also dey push di move to make travel within di continent dey easy and smooth.
Under di updated system, citizens of most African kontris go dey allowed to enta Kenya and stay ETA-free for up to two months.
Members of di East African Community, wey include Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, go fit stay for up to six months in line wit di bloc policy.
Kenya also tok say dem go introduce one enhanced process wey go "allow travellers to receive approval instantly" plus one maximum processing time of 72 hours.
E neva dey clear wen dis go take effect. Authorities don task several ministries to propose guidelines within a week to improve "travellers experience for all Kenyan airports", according to di cabinet statement.
Bifor di introduction of di ETA, visitors from more dan 40 kontris including several from Africa, fit enta Kenya, get stamp for dia passport and enta di kontri and dem no go need pay snytn.
All travellers now must apply and pay for ETA at least three days before dia trip to Kenya, unless dem be citizens of any kontri dem exempt.
Di ETA fee na $30 (£24) and e dey valid for 90 days.
Di policy don face plenty condemnation, as some tok say e fit make am dey more difficult for potential visitors to come di kontri.
Kenya don show say security element dey to di introduction of di new system, as goment tok tok pesin tell BBC last year say e dey necessary for vetting travellers.
Al-Shabab jihadist militants from neighbouring Somalia don target di kontri inside several notorious attacks.
On Tuesday, goment tok say dem also dey introduce one system wey go enhance "pre-screening, strengthen security, and streamline passenger processing at entry points".
