Passport-free travel for East Africa

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According to eTurboNews, experts from Uganda and Kenya will meet in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, to put final touches to the commitment made by the three heads of state that will allow citizens of the three countries to travel across the region using their national ID cards. Kenyan and Rwandan citizens have already been issued national ID cards. Ugandans will be able to use their voter’s cards until the national ID project has been concluded in that country.

In a bid to encourage travel between the three countries, a common tourist visa is also being implemented in January 2014 (see story here).

Kenya has also announced that it will grant visas on arrival to all citizens of the African Union member states in January 2014. The same move by Rwanda in January of this year has increased the number of visitors to the country. But unlike Rwanda, Kenya will demand reciprocity for its citizens when travelling to other African countries – to be equally granted visas on arrival – which may hamper the increase in visitors.