Kenyan Passport Weakens in Latest Henley Passport Ranking

A photo collage showing Kenyans holding an EAC Passport
A photo collage showing Kenyans holding an EAC Passport
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Varsity Scope

The Henley Passport Index has revised its 2023 ranking of powerful passports which has seen Kenya drop two places from the July Ranking.

In the July ranking, Kenya was placed in 67th position globally, but in the September ranking, the country dropped to position 69. 

Kenya now sits below eSwatini and Kazakhstan who are now tied for the 66th position. 

Henley and Partners which is regarded as the most authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports uses the number of destinations holders can access without a prior visa to determine its strength. 

A sample of a denied stamp on a passport.
A sample of a denied stamp on a passport.
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Visa Place

In total, the ranking index uses 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. 

According to the latest ranking, Kenyans can travel to up to 76 countries without a prior visa which is 4 places up since President William Ruto took over in September 2022. 

While the Kenyan passport got weaker in the global arena, it continued to exert its dominance in the East African Community (EAC) region.

Tanzania was ranked 72 while Uganda was ranked 75 in the latest index. 

Tanzania passport holders can travel to 73 countries visa-free while Ugandan citizens do not require a visa to travel to 69 countries. 

Other countries in East Africa include; Rwanda (80), Burundi (91), South Sudan (94) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (95). 

Continentally, Seychelles possessed the strongest passport which was ranked position 25 globally with its citizens travelling to 155 countries visa-free. 

Other top countries in Africa with strong passports include; South Africa (54), Namibia (65), and Lesotho (66).

Singapore with a visa-free score of 193 is the most powerful passport in 2023. 

Eight countries tie in position two which include; Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Sweden.

United Kingdom is ranked 3rd position globally with the United States ranked sixth position alongside; Poland, the Czech Republic, and Greece. 

Afghanistan was ranked the weakest passport in the world followed by Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan. 

A photo of Moi International Airport, Mombasa waiting bay.
A photo of Moi International Airport, Mombasa waiting bay.
Photo: Airport Technology