Kenya Announces Visa on Arrival for All Africans
Kenya's newly sworn-in president has announced that all
Africans will be able to obtain a visa on arrival at a port of entry as he
seeks to improve continental ties.
President Uhuru Kenyatta spoke to a cheering crowd of tens
of thousands at his inauguration, which ends months of political turmoil that
included a nullified election and a repeat vote.
This new
directive will boost international trade and tourism to the country as tourism
is the second foreign exchange earner in Kenya following agriculture.
A growing
number of African nations are making moves toward easing travel restrictions
for people across the continent.
It can be recalled that Rwanda, another East African
nation, earlier this month also issued a similar directive allowing travellers
from across the world to receive a 30-day visa upon arrival.
The move
was set to increase Rwanda’s openness and accessibility to the rest of the
world.
Kenyatta
also urged Kenyans to reject hate and divisiveness after the election unrest
that left dozens of people dead.
The
development also comes at a time when the African Union is in the process of
adopting a treaty to liberalize free movement of across the continent.
The
treaty seeks to realize age old ambitions of opening up the continent to
increase opportunities of trade, investment and opportunities for Africans.
Excerpts in this report were taken from News24.com
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