Kenya Waives eTA Fees for Botswana Citizens

The Kenyan High Commission in Botswana has announced a positive development for travellers from Botswana.

Kenya has exempted Botswana nationals from these fees in response to concerns raised by the Botswana government regarding the costs associated with the electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) system. This decision follows discussions between the two governments, where Botswana expressed its desire for an exemption similar to those already granted to seven other countries. These countries, including Comoros, the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, San Marino, and South Africa, had argued that the eTA system contradicted existing travel policy agreements with Kenya.

The Kenyan High Commission's notice clarifies that individuals from countries with established agreements or bilateral visa waivers with Kenya are not required to utilize the eTA system. This exemption also extends to all East African nations. Kenya implemented the eTA system in January 2024, replacing the previous visa policy. This electronic system allows Kenyan authorities to identify and assess travellers' eligibility for entry in advance aiming to streamline and expedite the travel authorization process.

Recently, CNN Correspondent Larry Madowo voiced concerns over Kenya's recently implemented Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, questioning its alignment with the country's aspirations of promoting tourism and realizing a borderless Africa. In a social media post, Madowo highlighted the stark contrast between Kenya's approach and his recent seamless visa-free entry experiences in neighbouring nations like Uganda, South Africa, and Ghana. Despite President William Ruto's December 2023 declaration abolishing visa requirements for all visitors to Kenya, the implementation of the ETA system appears to contradict this vision.

While eliminating the traditional visa application process, the ETA requirement introduces a similar bureaucratic hurdle complete with application fees. This undermines the proclaimed "visa-free" status. As Kenya claims to be a "visa-free" nation, travellers' experiences seem to paint a vastly different reality from the government's promotion, raising questions about the true nature of the country's visa policies and their impact on fostering tourism and regional integration.