President William Ruto’s administration announced plans to review the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) a year after its launch.
In a Cabinet meeting , the Kenya Kwanza government exempted almost all African countries from ETA requirements, citing the need to promote tourism and regional integration .
The Cabinet said the government will introduce expedited ETA processing that will allow travellers to receive instant approvals.
All African countries will enjoy a visa-free entry to Kenya except two, which are blacklisted for security reasons.
This comes a year after the government introduced the visa-free entry programme, granting ETA exemptions to only the East African Community (EAC) member states and seven other countries.
However, in the Tuesday meeting, the Cabinet exempted all the countries in the continent except Somalia and Libya, citing security concerns.
“This initiative aims to promote regional integration and ease travel across the continent. Most African visitors will be allowed a two-month stay, while East African Community (EAC) nationals will continue to enjoy a six-month stay under EAC free movement protocols,” read the Cabinet dispatch in part.
In 2024, the Cabinet projected that Kenya would receive 2.5 million tourists up from 2.013 million recorded in 2023.
