A single visa granting access to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda is expected to be rolled out by January next year.
South Africans, who do not need a visa for Rwanda or Kenya, will still need to apply for a single Uganda visa, says a spokesperson from the High Commission of Uganda.
The single visa was announced at World Tourism Market (WTM) in London earlier this month and follows negotiations between the three East African countries. Tanzania, which was expected to be included in the joint visa, pulled out of the agreement amid concerns over the fee collection structure, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure and security.
According to a statement released by the Kenya Tourism Board, the rollout of the multi visa follows six months of discussions.
“This is an opportunity for us to increase tourist numbers as we will jointly offer diversified tourism products,” said Phylis Kandie, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism. She added that other East African Community nations could be expected to join at a later stage.
“The single visa is long overdue, it will now not only ease movements within the member states but would also allow the tourists to maximise value for money,” said Kenya Tourism Board md, Muriithi Ndegwa.
