Kenya Passport ranks 8th in Africa power ranking

The passport issued by Kenya is the eighth most powerful in Africa in 2019, allowing its holders access to 71 different destinations visa-free.

In addition, a Kenyan passport holder needs to acquire a visa to traverse 155 destinations.

The Kenya passport, tied in 8th place with Malawi, lies behind Seychelles, Mauritius, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland respectively on the African power rankings.

East African neighbours Tanzania are in 9th place tied with Zambia. Tunisia completes the Africa top 10.

On the global stage, Kenya’s passport is ranked 72, alongside that of Indonesia.

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The rankings were released in a recent survey by Henley & Partners Passport Index, which reviews its global ranking quarterly.

They come amid a social media protest from Kenyans on Twitter against the Immigration Department over the stringent rules imposed on the renewal requirements for those seeking e-passports. The deadline for acquiring the new passports is August 31.

Most Powerful Passports in Africa

1. Seychelles (151 destinations visa-free)
2. Mauritius (145)
3. South Africa (101)
4. Botswana (82)
5. Namibia (75)
6. Lesotho (74)
7. Swaziland (72)
8. Kenya, Malawi (71)
9. Tanzania, Zambia (68)
10. Tunisia (66)

*Source : Henley & Partners Passport Index

Japan, which was the most powerful passport in 2018, retained its top dog status with a travel permit with access to 190 global destinations visa-free.

Germany, which had began last year as the most powerful passport in the world, slipped to third after Singapore and South Korea overtook the European country.

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Singapore and South Korea passports have access to 189 destinations, while Germany can traverse 188 destinations – the same as France.

Despite three Asian countries securing the top two slots, Europe dominates the apex of the ranking, totalling 20 of the 27 nations with the top 10 most powerful passports in the world.

Most Powerful Passports in the World

1. Japan (190 destinations visa-free)
2. Singapore, South Korea (189)
3. France, Germany (188)
4.  Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden (187)
5.  Luxembourg, Spain (186)
6. Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States (185)
7. Belgium, Canada, Greece, Ireland (184)
8. Czech Republic (183)
9. Malta (182)
10. Australia, Iceland, New Zealand (181)

*Source : Henley & Partners Passport Index

The lowest ranked countries are Iraq and Afghanistan, who are tied at position 104 with passports granting its holders access to 30 destinations visa-free.

Africa’s lowest ranked nation is Somalia (32 destinations), which at position 103 is tied with Syria.

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