Outrage as Gov’t Postpones Visa Free Directive scheduled to start on 1st.
Outrage as Gov’t Postpones Visa Free Directive scheduled to start on 1st: According to a statement from Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) noted that the alternative entry application model, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system was not yet fully developed.
Due to this, travellers visiting the country will still be required to apply for a Visa through Kenyan embassies, contrary to what the president had earlier promised.
The statement read,”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.”
” All travelers coming to Kenya from countries that require visas shall continue applying for visas in the usual manner until the government communicates the change program to the ETA system,”read part of the statement.
The ETA system is meant to control the influx of visitors once the visas are scrapped. Travellers will be charged Ksh4,600 during the application for the permit, an amount lower than Ksh7,600 for a single entry visa.
Notably, The system ensures security and enhances efficiency in that they curb unnecessary delays, facilitating the free movement of people across borders.
Netizens have not taken this lightly;
Obare wrote,”Yani Zakayo anadanganya mpaka wageni eti Kenya itakuwa Visa-free as from 1st January 2024 only for them kuambiwa lazima they apply for passport.”
Another netizen reacted,”Zakayo promised foreigners visiting Kenya that from 1st January, 2024 Kenya will be a Visa free country. It is unfortunate that they’ll continue applying for visas despite President Ruto’s directives.
Saddat expressed,”These are the things that happen when you have a president in a hurry to speak about things that aren’t vetted, just so people think his government is working. Very embarrassing.”
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