What is behind Kenyan President William Ruto's announcement during the Republic Day celebrations that travellers will no longer need a visa to enter Kenya?

According to the Kenyans website, Ruto did not actually announce that those entering the country from next January will not have to pay any fees, but simply that they will not have to pay the visa, which currently costs USD 50.

However, he pointed out that the government will issue an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to all visitors. According to Kenyans, as a result of the new changes made by the President, travellers will now pay $30, so the fact that they do not have to apply for a visa does not mean that they do not have to pay anything.

'To implement this new policy, we have developed a digital platform to ensure that all travellers to Kenya are identified in advance on an electronic platform,' the President announced, removing the visa requirement.
Here, according to the website, is the catch: although ETA is significantly cheaper than the visa, Kenya is expected to earn more with the new arrangement.

Currently, citizens of more than 43 countries do not need a visa to visit Kenya, but from January everyone will have to pay USD 30.
In addition, the Kenyan government has also introduced a new fine, under which people who exceed their 'allotted' period of stay will pay a $100 fee.

President Ruto had previously indicated that the abolition of visas would be extended to African countries, but later changed the position to include citizens from all over the world.

As is often the case, we will have to wait for an official immigration statement to really understand how visa policy will change and consequently the actual cost of visas for Kenya from 2024.