Foreigners raise complaints with Ruto’s ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation)
3 min read
Foreigners express dissatisfaction with President William Ruto's decision to do away with Visa requirements and replace them with Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Foreigners express dissatisfaction with President William Ruto’s decision to do away with Visa requirements and replace them with Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
President Ruto abolished Visa requirements in an effort to boost local tourism by attracting tourists in the country.
However, the new ETA system mandated that all travelers, regardless of country, enter their details at least 72 hours prior to departure and pay a Ksh4,653 ($30) cost.
Travelers from the 51 nations, including South Africa and Malawi, that did not require a visa to enter Kenya, asserted that while the new system was appealing to the global community, it placed more burdensome expenses and requirements on them.
Jones Ntaukira, on his X account, argued that he would have to part with more money and file more paperwork before travel which was previously unnecessary.
“So until 24 hours ago, as a Malawian, I could just wake up, buy a ticket, and fly to Kenya in the afternoon, visa-free. Now Kenya has “removed visa” for everyone visiting Kenya, but now everyone has to pay a $30 travel authorization fee 72 hours before travel. What? Hectic,” he expressed.
Sean Mendis, an airline executive, agreed with the claim noting that the paperwork adds more wait time since travellers must add their confirmed flight, and booked hotels among other details.
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He further argued that the ordinary ETA is not changeable even if the flight is canceled and is locked into the specific flight itinerary an individual submits.
To change flight numbers, the travelers will be expected to pay extra.
“Each ETA is a single entry and you cannot apply for the next ETA until you exit the country, meaning that you cannot travel to Kenya more often than once every 72 hours,” he argued.
“This system is not something to be commended. It is basically a cash grab rather than a means of opening borders. The old visa regime was far better than this “not a visa but ETA” system, especially for those who qualified for actual visa-free entry in the past but now have to pay for this ‘not a visa’, or for frequent travelers who could get multiple entry visas but now have to reapply every single time.”
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Interior justified the need for ETA filing noting that it would inform the country on Kenya’s security and other strategic interests.
So far, ETA has received a total of 9,787 applications, 4,046 of which have already been processed.
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