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Many who travel within Africa still face high fees and long delays before obtaining a visa
Kenya is set to end visa requirements for all African visitors by the end of the year, President William Ruto has said.
“It is time to … realize that having visa restrictions between us is working against us,” he told an international conference.
Visa-free travel within the continent has been a goal of the African Union (AU) for the past decade.
While there are regional agreements and bilateral arrangements, progress towards avoiding restrictions has been slow.
However, according to the Africa 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 procedures and lifting restrictions on some others nations.
In 2022, Kenya was ranked 31st in the index out of 54 states.
President Ruto told an audience in Congo-Brazzaville that it was bad for business.
“When people can’t travel, business people can’t travel, business people can’t travel, we all become net losers.
“Let me say this: As a Kenyan, by the end of this year, no African will need a visa to come to Kenya,” he said to loud cheers from conference delegates.
“Our children from this continent should not be locked in borders in Europe and also be locked in borders in Africa.”
He was speaking at a summit aimed at protecting some of the world’s largest rainforests.
The AU launched its African passport in 2016. The idea behind the passport is for all African citizens to be able to travel across the continent visa-free – but it is not yet widely available.
This is partly due to concerns about security, smuggling and the impact on local labor markets.
If lifting all visa restrictions is currently a step too far, the Visa Openness Index report recommends a number of other measures. These include reducing fees, making visa-on-arrival standard for African visitors and implementing a secure e-visa system.