Kenyan dropped in the latest 2022 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) after being ranked at number 31.



In the latest ranking, released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union Commission (AUC) on Friday, December 16, Kenya dropped three points from the 2021 listing.

In the 2021 ranking, Kenya was placed at position 28.

Neighbouring Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda beat Kenya as they were declared more open to visitation from other African states.

Rwanda was put as more open in the East African Community (EAC) block and was ranked fifth.


"The Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) measures the extent to which African countries are open to visitors from other African countries.

"For each country, the AVOI calculates the number of African countries whose citizens must obtain a visa before travelling there, the number of countries whose citizens may obtain a visa upon arrival, and the number of countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter," read the statement in part.

However, Kenya was recognised for leading in making the country more open to countries in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

"No COMESA member state offers visa-free entry to more than half of other COMESA members: the most open countries in this regard are Kenya and Uganda, which dispense ten fellow COMESA members from obtaining a visa but do not offer a visa on arrival to the rest," read the report in part.

According to the report, Kenya exempted 19 countries from the VISA requirement with citizens from 34 countries required to obtain visas to visit the country.

The report recommended that countries make a visa on arrival the standard for visitors from across the continent.


"Create regional bloc visas: visas that open a region’s countries to visits by the citizens of every country that is a member of the regional bloc.

"Offer a longer-term visa for regular and repeat travellers," recommended the report.