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Kenyan passport 8th strongest in Africa in latest global ranking

The Kenyan passport. (Photo: File)

By Mercy Asamba | Friday, January 12, 2024

Holders of the Kenyan passport have access to 76 global destinations.

Kenya's passport is the eighth strongest one in Africa, according to a report by Henley & Partners, which placed it at position 67 globally.

Kenya tied with Malawi on both fronts, with holders of their passports able to access 76 destinations. Both countries moved several spots up since the release of the previous report in January 2023, Kenya having taken positon 73 and Malawi 74.

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This comes as President William Ruto advocates for a borderless Africa, urging countries to abandon the visa requirement in pursuit of the free movement of people and goods across the continent.

Kenya's Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system took effect on the first week of January following Ruto's order on Jamhuri Day last year.

As of January 11, the number of foreigners who had applied to visit Kenya using the ETA had hit 32,000.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok on Thursday said the total revenue obtained through the ETA in the same period stood at around $1 million (Sh157 million).

“We have been able to generate $1 million in the last one week,” he said.

Henley report

Seychelles maintained its position as Africa's strongest passport, with document holders of the island nation accessing 156 destinations visa-free or able to obtain the travel document on arrival to their destibations. It ranked 26th in the world.

Mauritius took position two in Africa, with travellers able to access 150 destinations. It maintained its previous spot and stood at position 30 globally.

South Africa, which ranks number 53 in the world, has the third most powerful passport in Africa. Travellers who hold this passport can access 108 destinations visa-free.

Botswana has the fourth most powerful passport in Africa, granting access to 91 destinations, and ranks 59th in the world.

Lesotho and Namibia took position five in Africa and 65 in the world, with their passport holders able to visit 80 destinations visa-free.

Ranking 66th in the world, the Kingdom of Eswatini took position seven in Africa with holders of its passport able to visit 78 destinations without visas. Tanzania was position 10 in Africa and 69 worldwide, with access to 73 countries.

Somalia, Libya and Eritrea have the weakest passports in Africa, the report said. Somalis can access 36 destinations without a visa, while Libyan nationals can access 40 and Eritreans 43. The three countries rank 99th, 98th and 96th globally, respectively.

The Henley Passport Index, which used data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.