By Chris Muhizi for MCN Monday June 12th/2023.
Kenya will no longer require Djiboutians to obtain visas as part of Nairobi’s efforts to facilitate travel throughout the Horn of Africa and enhance commerce and air travel between the two nations.
Following their Sunday meeting in Djibouti city, Kenyan President William Ruto and his colleague Omar Ismael Guelleh made the policy change public, according to State House Nairobi.
Dr. Ruto is in Djibouti for the 14th Ordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), an association of seven countries in the Horn of Africa.
The summit is scheduled to begin on Monday and will “discuss a range of issues critical to the region’s peace, security, and development,” according to a notice from the Igad Secretariat in Djibouti.
Dr. Ruto and his host had a joint press conference where Dr. Ruto declared, “I am firmly committed to eliminating the barriers imposed by visa requirements for Djiboutian citizens travelling to Kenya.”
Therefore, Kenya has completed the necessary processes to allow Djiboutian citizens to enter Kenya without a visa.
Djiboutians will no longer need to submit online visa applications in order to go to Kenya as has been customary.
President Ruto continued, “This is part of our contribution to easing the movement of people, goods, and services in Africa,” noting that the change in policy is mutual.
In Djibouti, Dr. Ruto added that in order to increase travel and resume direct flights between their capitals, the two parties would review their bilateral air agreement.
According to Kenya, lowering immigration restrictions will enhance trade with its neighbors. Kenya eliminated visa requirements for Eritrea, which shares a border with Djibouti to the southeast, in February.
However, the Immigration Department will be responsible for actually putting the new policy change into practice. Travelers will still be subject to other restrictions, such as having a valid passport and entering Kenya legally.
