Starting in 2024, Kenya is scrapping visa-requirements for all international visitors, President William Samoei Ruto announced on 12 December during the 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations, marking the country’s independence form the United Kingdom.
Ruto has been advocating for Kenya to become a completely visa-free country for a long time, building on a campaign that invites people from around the world to return home, repeatedly reminding people that humans first developed in Kenya, then spread around the world from there.
“Science tells us that the earliest remains of man are in Kenya, meaning humanity started here”, the President said earlier this year. “And therefore, the people in Europe and America and all those other places, they came from here and it is not fair to ask anybody for a visa when they are going home. (…) We could possibly drive our tourism numbers from our 2 million to maybe 20 million by just telling everybody ‘Please come home!’ “
To echo the call of the Turkana people to the world: ‘Tobong’u Lorre!’ Kenya has a simple message to humanity: ‘Welcome Home!’
William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya
After gradually scrapping visas for citizens of other African countries throughout 2023, Ruto’s wish is finally coming true starting in January 2024. “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 said on Jamhuri Day.
To implement the new policy, the government has developed a digital platform where all travellers must register before arriving to the country. Thus, visitors will still be identified, but will receive an electronic travel authorisation instead of needing to apply for a visa.
