Kenyan citizens can travel visa-free and obtain a visa on arrival to 72 countries out of 218 according to the 2021 Henley Passport Index and Global Mobility Report.
This is a marginal improvement from 2020.
According to the report released on January 5, the Kenyan Passport maintained its position among the top 10 most powerful passports in Africa featuring at ranked9 within the continent and position 73 globally.
Kenya was ranked behind Seychelles (28), Mauritius (31), South Africa (54), Botswana (62), Namibia (68), Lesotho (69), eSwatini (71) and Malawi (72).
Tanzania was ranked 74, Tunisia (74), Zambia (74), Gambia (75) and Uganda (76) behind Kenya.
In the report, Japan tops the list of being the most powerful passport in the world for the year 2021. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 191 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 destinations around the world. Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190) and South Korea ties with Germany in third place (with a score of 189).
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of leading residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says that the latest ranking provides an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary upheaval that characterized 2020.
“Just a year ago all indications were that the rates of global mobility would continue to rise, that travel freedom would increase, and holders of powerful passports would enjoy more access than ever before,” the chairman said as quoted by the statement.
“The global lockdown negated these glowing projections, and as restrictions begin to lift, the results from the latest index are a reminder of what passport power really means in a world upended by the pandemic,” Kaelin added.
The Hensley Passport Index bases its findings on data obtained from the International Air Transport Association, country policy and infomation from reliable online sources.
