Kenya Lied To The African Diaspora About Visa Free Entry| Ep. 184

Traveling to one of Africa’s most popular destinations seemed to be about to get a lot easier in 2024 after the government of Kenya announced tourists would no longer need a visa.

And then people started reading the small print.

While many international visitors no longer need to buy a visa costing upward of $51, now almost everyone – including some countries whose citizens previously enjoyed free entry – must cough up $34 for an Electronic Travel Authorization.

The move has sparked blowback, with many taking to social media to voice their outrage. Some in the travel industry have warned it could have a serious impact on tourism at a time when the country is hoping to attract more visitors.

The new policy requires visitors to apply online at least three days before travel and pay the $34 as a processing fee.

Kenyan President William Ruto has advocated for a borderless Africa, urging countries to ditch visas and pursue the free movement of people and goods across the continent.

But since the new policy took effect in early January, people across the continent have taken to social media complaining it does the opposite.

Tourists step on the Great Wall to watch sunrise on New Year’s Day on January 1, 2024 in Beijing, China.

When the ETA went into effect in the first week in January, Jones Ntaukira, a frequent business traveler from Malawi, expressed surprise at the move, calling it “hectic,” in a post on X.

The founder of startup power company Zuwa Energy told CNN that, for someone who frequently travels at short notice to Nairobi to meet with partners and investors, the new rules are an unwelcome obstacle.

“Now it means you don’t have that convenience, it’s gone, you have to plan four days in advance,” he said. “It’s not the $30 but I think it’s the process that you have to apply online and wait for three days and then submit documents. We didn’t have that before.”

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