DRC Scraps Visa Requirements for Kenyans

The Democratic Republic of Congo has lifted visa restrictions for Kenyans in response to a recent decision announced in Nairobi earlier.

The Directorate General of Migration in the DR Congo says that the new policy went into effect on September 1, 2023, the same day that Kenya lifted its visa requirements for Congolese nationals. The ultimate goal of this move is to enhance the integration between the two nations into the East African community. By lifting the requirements, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in trade between the nations and easy access for imports to the eastern areas of DR Congo.

Kenya views the DRC, where less than 10% of the population has bank accounts, as a possible haven on which its banking and transportation sectors can flourish. Already present in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are Equity Bank and KCB Bank. The addition of the DRC to the East African Community's fold has been received positively despite the fact that the country hasn't ratified all of the agreements.

Tanzanian officials have even lifted the visa requirement for Congolese citizens. The Tanzanian embassy in the DRC sent a circular to the Congolese Foreign Affairs Minister on August 25th, stating that Tanzania has amended its Immigration Regulation Act to include the DRC among the countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter Tanzania.

President William Ruto on Monday disclosed that he is considering eliminating the visa requirement for foreign travellers who wish to visit Kenya. He believes that these restrictions on travel are unfair and that people should not be required to pay for visas when coming 'home'. In recent months, the Kenyan government has already abolished pre-travel visas for Indonesian, Comoros and Senegal nationals.