The first group of foreign visitors to Kenya without a visa has landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, stated on Friday that 2,141 travelers had already received approval under the new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) model.
He emphasized the simplicity of ETA applications, stating that since President William Ruto's ban on visa requirements, the government has also received over 5,000 applications for ETA.
"It's very easy to apply and get an ETA. You just need to fill in your personal data in ten minutes and you should be able to get approval in 72 hours. We have made sure that travelling to Kenya is going to be an easy and pleasant experience," he said.
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The PS received the first batch from Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight number ET 318.
Like Bitok, passengers reported that the ETA process was easier and quicker than the Visa application system it replaced.
President Ruto's directive to "double or at least drastically increase the two million annual visitors to Kenya" is anchored by the new ETA regulations, gazetted recently by Prof. Kithure Kindiki, Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration.
According to PS Bitok, the nation wants to make up for lost revenue from visa applications from more tourists who are expected to spend more money.
Simultaneously, the PS denied concerns that allowing entry without a visa would make the nation more vulnerable to security threats, claiming that the new system provides more effective ways to identify and banish unwanted travelers.
He said that while Kenya hoped other nations would grant their citizens visas without restriction, the advantages of Kenya's indiscriminate visa policy outweighed worries about nonresponse.
