As a result of the Covid-19 prohibition, Kenyan passport holders are restricted from entering 54 countries in the global race to defend nations from emerging coronavirus types.
The revelations were revealed by the Henley Passport Index, which has been tracking the world’s best travel-friendly passports since 2006.
Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Cambodia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Bulgaria, and Singapore are among the countries that have banned or restricted Kenyan passport holders.
Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Chile, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, and Cameroon are among the others, with Cameroon being the only African country to impose limits on Kenya, according to Henley & Partners.
According to the Kenyan Health Ministry, the highly contagious Covid-19 Delta form might cause a fourth wave of infections in the following two months.
The fast transmissible strain, which was first discovered in India, is now prevalent in western Kenya, where it was first discovered.
To prevent the outbreak from spreading across the country, the government enforced travel restrictions in the region.
“Borders remain firmly closed in several countries, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, while many others continue to ban travelers from high-risk regions,” says the Henley & Partners report.
Kenya has not responded against the 54 countries after an assessment last month revealed a small number of countries whose nationals must undergo quarantine before entering the country.
Ireland, Kuwait, Pakistan, Brunei, and Thailand are among those whose nationals must endure a 14-day forced quarantine.
Most governments are poised to sign off on plans allowing persons who have had both vaccines to travel freely.
So far, around 1.53 million people have been immunized, with 511,520 receiving their second dosage.
From August to December, the government plans to acquire 13 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses, with the goal of vaccinating more than 10 million people by the end of December and the whole 26 million adult population by the end of 2022.
As of June 29, Kenya has 188,513 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 3,721 deaths, with an 8.9% positive rate.
According to the Henley Passport Index study, the number of countries that Kenyans can visit without a visa has decreased from 79 in December to 64 in the second quarter of this year, indicating that Covid-19 restrictions are to blame.
The score indicates the number of countries that a Kenyan passport holder can travel without a visa, as well as the countries where they can obtain a visa on arrival or electronically.
According to the report, Covid-19 continues to stymie the resumption of regular international travel, noting that while some countries are making rapid progress in vaccinating their populations, most developing countries are making slow progress, hampered by a lack of resources and inadequate supplies.
The Kenyan passport has also lost ground in Africa, falling from ninth to eleventh place, where it is tied with Tanzania and Ghana.
Kenya is listed behind Seychelles, South Africa, Mauritius, Botswana, Namibia, Tunisia, and Swaziland, among other African countries, in the Passport Index.
A Kenyan can visit 29 countries without a visa and receive an entry document in 30 countries upon arrival.
Singapore, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and Fiji are among the nations where Kenyans can visit without a visa or obtain one on arrival.
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Kenya has issued new chip-embedded passports to its people in an effort to combat widespread counterfeiting and impersonation. The new elements are designed to make forging or duplicating a Kenyan passport nearly impossible.
The introduction of e-passports with a 10-year validity period signaled the end of the ‘analogue’ passports that had been in use since independence, and the country has since joined the ranks of 60 other countries that have adopted e-passports.
According to a recent survey by the African continental agency, East Africa ranks first in the region for free movement of people, confirming the benefits of an open visa regime for the continent aimed at boosting trade and tourism.
The visa rule was liberalized to encourage more open borders across the continent, as well as to increase trade, security, and African integration. It has received widespread attention, with the African Union Commission urging countries to follow Kenya’s lead.
With the news that residents from Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda can move freely with their identity cards, work, do business, and own property on an equitable basis, Kenya is advancing integration within the East African Community.
