The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has issued a circular, stating a delay in the implementation of the presidential directive that Kenya will be a visa-free country from January 2024.
In mid-December 2023, President William Ruto said visitors to Kenya from across the world will no longer require a visa from January 2024. Ruto said his government had developed a digital platform to ensure all visitors would receive an electronic travel authorisation in advance, instead of needing to apply for a visa.
“It shall no longer be necessary for any person from any corner of the globe to carry the burden of applying for a visa to come to Kenya,” he had said in a speech in the capital Nairobi at an event to mark 60 years of independence from Britain.
Now the circular clarifies that the ongoing development of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, designed to accurately identify all incoming travelers, is still in progress. Consequently, visas will continue to be in use until the alternative digital platform is ready for implementation.
“Following the presidential directive that Kenya will be a visa-free country from January 2024, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is in the process of development and implementation. The digital platform will ensure that all travels to Kenya are identified in advance. All travelers coming to Kenya from countries that require visas shall continue applying for visas in the usual manner until the government communicates the change program to the ETA system,” KCAA stated in the circular.
Ruto has long been an advocate for visa-free travel. Ruto also criticised the historical imposition of visa barriers on African countries, expressing a commitment to breaking down such barriers within the continent. He cited the contrasting situation in the European Union, where member states enjoy unrestricted movement without visa requirements.
During a conference in the Republic of Congo in October he had also said that people from African countries would not require a visa to visit Kenya by the end of 2023.
 has issued a circular, stating a delay in the implementation of the presidential directive that Kenya will be a visa-free country from January 2024. Now the circular clarifies that the ongoing development of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, designed to accurately identify all incoming travelers, is still in progress. Consequently, visas will continue to be in use until the alternative digital platform is ready for implementation.){kind=link}