CS Interior, Professor Kithure Kindiki, has formally amended the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act to establish the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
This electronic system aims to replace traditional visa requirements for travelers entering the country, aligning with Kenya’s imminent abolition of visas.
Regulation Act of 2012 has undergone amendments, introducing new terms such as Advance Passenger Information (API), which includes biographic data of passengers or crew members and flight details of aircraft operations.
Other terms incorporated include control agency, crew member, passenger name record, specified offence, among others.
While the new system is not yet in effect, individuals intending to travel to Kenya will be required to apply for ETA through the electronic portal and possess the Authorisation before embarkation.
Carriers entering the country must ensure that passengers hold valid ETAs, with responsibility placed on the captain to verify each passenger’s authorization.
Prof Kindiki warned that any carrier bringing into Kenya a person without a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation would be obligated to return that person to their last port of call or country of origin.
However, the possession of ETA alone will not grant final authority to enter the country, as the details submitted by the carrier must be certified as correct by the Kenyan authorities.
The amended Act now introduces a “watch list” to monitor and track the activities or movements of criminals, individuals found guilty of offences involving stolen and lost travel documents, criminal deportees, suspected terrorists, and other persons of interest to the intelligence community.
Once the government completes the implementation of the new system, President William Ruto’s plan to abolish visas will commence.
The President announced last month that Kenya would eliminate visa requirements by January, aiming to facilitate tourism, attract investors, and boost business activities in the country.
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