Kindiki chairs meeting to review ETA system that seeks to boost tourism numbers
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Tuesday held an inter-ministerial review meeting to generate consensus on administrative and procedural improvements of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system.
Those in attendance included Kipchumba Murkomen (Interior and National Administration), Rebecca Miano (Tourism and Wildlife), Davies Chirchir (Roads and Transport), and Alfred Mutua (Labour &’Social Protection)
Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system is a semi-automated process determining if visitors are eligible to travel to Kenya.
Last year in January, the Kenyan government replaced traditional visas with an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system.
“Kenya adopted a visa free policy for all travelers coming into Kenya from any other country. To secure the interests of homeland security, the policy measure requires travelers to obtain an electronic travel authorization in advance, before commencing travel,” Kindiki stated.
The Deputy President stated that the review is aimed at ensuring continous improvement of this policy one year later, to ensure greater convenience to travellers into Kenya for business, tourism and social purposes.
The new policy, which required travelers to pay $30 and wait three days for processing, was criticized by many travelers, leading to concerns over the policy’s impact on tourism.
Source: Capital News
