Ethiopia has hailed President William Ruto after his government’s decision to exempt Ethiopian citizens from paying the $30 (Ksh4,320) fees when applying for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
Ethiopia Ambassador to Kenya General Bacha Debele Buta said in a statement that the decision was a kind gesture and sent his heartfelt gratitude to Ruto for the move.
However, the ambassador indicated that Ethiopian citizens will still be required to fill an ETA form online before their arrival into the country.
“My heartfelt thanks and appreciations to the Government of Kenya for its prompt response and kind decision to remove Ethiopian citizens from Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) related electronic payment requirement.
We kindly inform our citizens that they can enter into Kenya without any requirement for visa and its related payment, but requirement to fill ETA form online before arrival, remains mandatory,” Ethiopia Ambassador Bacha Debele Buta said.
The decision was made during Ruto’s State visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Also Read: Ruto Appointed to Replace Kagame in AU Position
ETA Payment System
The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system was implemented in January 2024 after the government introduced a new visa-free regime.
Shortly after the implementation, Immigration Principal Secretary Julias Bitok announced that the government had already collected Ksh159 million from the newly implemented system.
Bitok also indicated that the number of tourists coming to Kenya doubled under the new regime, adding that the country had received 32,000 tourists through the new system.
“I am happy to inform the country that through the ETA system, we have been able to collect one million dollars (Ksh159,000,000). This is foreign exchange for the people of Kenya.
“That is where the world is going. The entire of Europe has also announced the introduction of ETA, in Africa, Kenya has taken the lead. That is where the world is going,” he stated.
Also Read: Ruto Officially Makes Kenya Visa Free Country
Also, he indicated that the system would undergo changes to improve its efficiency based on the feedback received from users.
“We are developing the system and reviewing it every day based on the feedback that we are getting. One of the biggest concerns we were getting was the upload of the bank statement and we have already removed that and many others because we thought it was not very necessary,” added the PS.
Ruto in Ethiopia
During his visit to Ethiopia, Ruto was appointed as the African Union (AU) Champion for Institutional Reform by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, during the presidential dialogue on global financial reforms meeting.
The head of state replaced President Paul Kagame of Rwanda who is set to step down from the role after serving for seven years.
