Kenya to update region on travel status in June
Motorists being subjected to security checks at the entrance of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. File | Nation Media Group
What you need to know:
- The countries are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Somalia, which became the eighth member of the bloc at the end of last year, is yet to be considered.
- The Interior Affairs ministry’s Director of Communications, Mr Nixon Ng’ang’a, told this media house that they were still in the works to streamline the region’s interests.
The Kenyan government will update the East African Community region on the way forward regarding travel to the country after a six-month grace period.
Multiple Kenyan officials who spoke to this publication on Monday evening and Tuesday morning, said the region’s largest economy – so far - had exempted its six partner states from applying and paying for the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for a period of six months to give it legroom to establish better systems.
The countries are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Somalia, which became the eighth member of the bloc at the end of last year, is yet to be considered.
The Interior Affairs ministry’s Director of Communications, Mr Nixon Ng’ang’a, told this media house that they were still in the works to streamline the region’s interests.
“EAC nationals will be issued with ETA gratis (free eTA). We are currently developing the system to recognize various types of EAC documents used for travel within the region,” he said.
Mr Ng’ang’a added: “Some of these are not ICAO compliant. The six months period will be used to align regional interests and compliance with international travel protocols”.
He, however, did not name the countries that are not compliant.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international air transport. It is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
This newspaper made the inquiry on the way forward after it emerged that many Ugandans, especially who regularly travel to Kenya, were reading the electronic travel authorisation state issued by the Kenyan Immigrations Directorate at variance.
In the statement on the implementation of the eTA signed by Mr Evelyn Cheluget, the director general of the Kenya State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services, travellers from the East African Community states are exempted for six months.
“Henceforth, all travellers coming to Kenya will be required to apply for the Electronic travel Authorization (eTA) prior to travel, with exclusion of the exempted person; citizens of the East African Partner States; These countries include…Uganda. (Exempted for six months),” the statement reads.
The eTA system replaces the Visa system in Kenya. Travellers must apply online, at least three days before their travel to Kenya. The application attracts a fee of $30 (about Shs114,000) per visitor.
Kenya started implementing the eTA system on January 1, to all foreigners except those exempted.
Speaking to this newspaper on Monday, some Ugandans in Kenya told this paper that they were told that they would be free to operate in Kenya for only six months without any interference even when they have no residence permit.
Mr William Kidima, a leader of Ugandan traders in Mombasa, Kenya, said they don’t know whether they will be required to apply for the eTA after the exempted six months or not.
“The explanation we got from the Kenyan authority is that we will operate freely for six months in Kenya. The details of what will happen after six months isn’t clear,” Mr Kidima said.
Travellers from the EAC member states only present valid national identity cards or passports at ports of entry to access Kenya.
