Kenya to be visa free for all Africans by end of 2023

The President of Kenya, William Ruto has declared that Africans will no longer require visa to visit Kenya by the end of 2023.

Mr Ruto who made the statement whiles addressing an audience in Congo-Brazzaville said it was bad that people especially Africans could not freely travel and move within African countries for business.

“When people cannot travel, business people cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel, we all become net losers. By the end of this year [2023], no African will be required to have a visa to come to Kenya. Our children from this continent should not be locked in borders in Europe and also be locked in borders in Africa”, he said.

The Kenyan President who was speaking at a summit aimed at protecting some of the world's largest rainforests further added that visa restrictions among Africans was one that worked against the continent.
"It is time we realise that having visa restrictions amongst ourselves is working against us," he said.

Visa Free

Only Seychelles, The Gambia and Benin offer entry to all African citizens without a visa, according to a 2022 AU-backed report.

But according to Africa's Visa Openness Index - which measures the extent to which each country in Africa is open to visitors from other African countries - most countries are making progress towards simplifying entry processes and dropping restrictions to some other nations.

In 2022, Kenya was ranked 31st on the index out of 54 states.