Miguna lauds South Africa for Visa move, asks other countries to follow suit
Kenyan lawyer Miguna Miguna has called upon African Countries to emulate the decision made by South Africa to allow Kenyans to visit without visas.
Miguna has also praised South African president Cyril Ramaphosa saying he has made a very crucial decision, saying the move will promote unity among African Countries.
“South Africa’s decision to allow Kenyans to visit without visas is a welcome move that should be emulated by all African countries. This should be a precursor for Africa’s Unity,” Miguna said.
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The announcement was made earlier on Wednesday during a joint press briefing by President William Ruto and President Ramaphosa at State House, Nairobi.
“We have agreed that Kenyans should be able to visit South Africa without requiring them to have visas and that this dispensation will commence on January 1, 2023, and that our officials will speed up the processes of putting this into effect,” President Ramaphosa said.
“On behalf of the people of Kenya, I express Kenya’s appreciation for the progress we have made on the long-awaited visa-free regime, between Kenya and South Africa,” President Ruto said.
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It has been a requirement for Kenyans travelling to South Africa to apply for visas at a cost of between Sh5,000 and Sh7,000 with a waiting period of five days. South Africans, meanwhile, can visit Kenya and get a visa upon arrival.
In 2016, during a visit to Nairobi, former South Africa president Jacob Zuma said the strict visa rules imposed on Kenyans were arrived at owing to security concerns.
South Africa, a leading African economy, remains Kenya’s key trading partner.
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