Nairobi (KAAb TV) – Kenya’s Cabinet has announced new measures to facilitate the travel of African citizens, with most countries on the continent exempted from the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) requirement.
According to the revised policy, visitors from African countries will be allowed to stay in Kenya for up to two months. Also, citizens of East African Community (EAC) countries will continue to stay for six months, in accordance with the EAC free movement protocol.
Somalia and Libya were exempted from the list due to security concerns.
These changes were made at the first Cabinet meeting in 2025, chaired by President William Ruto, at the State House in Kakamega.
The Council of Ministers indicated that this initiative aims to improve regional integration and facilitate travel throughout Africa.
They stressed that the changes made to the eTA system are part of efforts to strengthen efficiency and support the growth of tourism.
“As part of efforts to support open air policies and tourism growth, a key proposal is to waive eTA requirements for all African countries except Somalia and Libya—due to security concerns. This initiative aims to improve regional integration and facilitate travel across the continent,” said the press release of the Council of Ministers.
Kenya’s decision is humiliating and weak for Somalia, which is a member of the EAC, and it is not right for Kenya to separate from the members of the organization.
Kenya has engaged with Somalia many times and agreements have always been made to facilitate the travel of Somali citizens, but Kenya has never implemented it.
The federal government of Somalia is not accountable to Kenya for the implementation of the agreements it enters into, although it implements the provisions of Kenya such as the permission of Keya Khat to come to Somalia.
The eTA system, which was implemented in January 2024, obliges all people traveling to Kenya, including children, to obtain authorization before traveling to Kenya. The permit costs $30 (about Sh3,880) and is for one entry, allowing a stay of up to 90 days.
The Cabinet also approved the implementation of an expedited eTA process, allowing expatriates to obtain approval faster.
The Kenyan government has waived eTA fees for travelers from Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia, Comoros, Eritrea, and the Republic of Congo, among others.