Kenyan Passport

 54 counties, including Cameroon and Chile, have placed a ban or travel restrictions on holders of the Kenyan passport in a move aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19 and the new variants.

Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Cambodia, UK, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Bulgaria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Cyprus are among countries that have banned or placed restrictions on holders of Kenyan passports.

On her part, Kenya only has travel restrictions on a few countries, whose citizens have to quarantine for a mandatory 14 days on arrival in the county. These include; Ireland, Kuwait, Pakistan Brunei, and Thailand whose citizens are required to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine.

The number of countries that Kenyans can visit without a visa has also dropped from 79 in December 2020, 64 in the second quarter of 2021 to 59 in what it linked to Covid-19 restrictions, according to the Henley Passport Index report.

The Kenyan passport also lost its strength in Africa, dropping from position 9 to 11 where it ties with Tanzania and Ghana.

According to the Henley Passport Index, which has been regularly monitoring the world’s most travel-friendly passports since 2006, the globe experienced the lowest drop of world openness in history owing to the Corona Virus Outbreak that saw WOS drop to 65% from its all-time high of 21,360, to its all-time low, of 12,994 in May 2019.

The Henley Passport Index further observes that although global mobility will return, it will take time. World Openness Score is the key measure to depict whether governments are willing to reopen borders, and with a mere 1.7% increase in 4 months, it seems that the full-throttle confidence in reinstating open borders, has yet to be reached.

“A new era of travel is upon us — one that is centered around a sustainable and responsible model of mobility. Safety has rightly been the top priority for many people and will continue to be a vital point once normal travel returns. More and more governments are considering adopting new practices and regulations that will enable international travel to become a safe and sustainable experience for both visitors and their local population.” The report says.

Related

https://www.kenyaforum.net/latest-articles/kenya-resumes-flights-to-the-uk/