Kenya Receives First Batch Of Foreigners At JKIA Under Visa-Free Policy

• Kenya has received first batch of visitors under the visa-free policy stated by President William Ruto during Jamhuri Day celebrations
• The immigration principal secretary, Julius Bitok, confirmed arrival of the visitors stating that the ministry had received 5,000 applications
• In addition, Bitok stated that the country expects to hit a record of KSh 1.5 trillion in tourism revenue

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has announced the arrival of the first batch of foreigners on Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA) under the promised visa-free policy.

According to Bitok, more than 5,000 ETA applications ha been received, with 2,141 already approved.

The PS disclosed that the country targets five million tourists annually and KSh 1.5 trillion in tourism revenue.

ETA system not ready, says government

The communication comes three days after the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority declared that the status quo would be intact until the ETA system is ready to process their applications.

"All travellers coming to Kenya from countries that require visas shall continue applying for visas in the usual manner until the government communicates more on the ETA system," read the statement.

"Following the presidential directive that Kenya will be a visa-free country from January 2024, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system is in the process of development and implementation. The digital platform will ensure that all travellers to Kenya are identified in advance," continued the statement.

William Ruto announces visa-free state

During Jamhuri Day celebrations on December 12, 2023, President William Ruto announced that Kenya would be a visa-free state beginning January 2024.

The president emphasised that the digital system would eliminate the need for visitors to apply for visas, a process that typically takes time.

However, the visitors will be required to fill out an e-form to obtain authorization.

"Beginning January 2024, Kenya will be a visa-free country. It will 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 declared.

"To implement this new policy, we have developed a digital platform to ensure that all travellers to Kenya are identified in advance on an electronic platform; consequently, all travellers will obtain electronic travel authorisation as they come to Kenya," added the president.