Kenya's passport ranks best regionally

NAIROBI - Kenya could be the next giant in terms of foreign relations not only regionally but across the globe, it has emerged, after recording improvements in terms of passport ranking, which now tops in the East and Central Africa region.

Kenya, a new report by Henley Passport Index Report, is now ranked 7th across the continent and 67th globally, up from eighth best in Africa in January this year. The rank is motivated by the stability of the country and strong foreign policy which is flexible to many people and countries around the world.

A holder of a Kenyan passport, the report says, can now travel to 76 countries across the world up from 73, without a visa or visa on arrival. This reflects a number of robust measures put in by the administration of President William Ruto, who has been signing bilateral ties with several countries globally.

Kenya’s passport has been rising after the government agreed with the South African and Eritrean governments to remove travel restrictions in the form of Visas. Also, Senegal signed a deal with Kenya recently which allows citizens from both countries to travel without restrictions.

Mauritius passport is the most powerful on the continent, as holders can visit 148 countries Visa-free. It is also ranked 29th globally. The Indian Ocean Island is trailed by South Africa at position 51, Namibia (61), Lesotho (79), and Eswatini (77), Capital FM reports.

Globally, Singapore is the strongest passport at number one, followed by Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, France, and Japan. For instance, a passport holder from Singapore can travel to 192 countries worldwide without a visa.

Afghanistan’s passport ranks lowest, below Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, among others. The countries have been witnessing political skirmishes with the Arab Spring affecting quite a number of them along with violent extremism.

Somalia for instance, has been handling Al-Shabaab menace, with the government putting spirited effort to defeat the group. There has been remarkable progress in the fight against the militants who control large swathes of rural central and southern parts of the country.

GAROWE ONLINE