Diaspora affairs strategist hails UAE visa-on-arrival policy as win for Kenya

Kenyans living abroad will now be able to access the United Arab Emirates more easily after the country introduced a visa-on-arrival policy for eligible Kenyan ordinary passport holders and their families with valid residence permits in selected countries.

The policy, which took effect on June 25, 2026,  allows qualifying Kenyans residing in the United States, the United Kingdom, European Union countries, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and New Zealand to obtain either a 14-day or 60-day visa upon arrival at airports in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Diaspora affairs strategist based in the United States, Danson Mukile, hailed the development as a landmark achievement for Kenyans living abroad, attributing it to the growing bilateral ties between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The landmark trade pact was signed on January 14, 2025, in Abu Dhabi during President William Ruto's state visit to the UAE.

The agreement was signed by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in the presence of President Ruto and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The agreement aims to remove trade barriers, streamline customs procedures, expand trade in goods and services, promote investment, digital trade, infrastructure development, innovation, and strengthen regional value chains between the two countries.

From Washington, D.C., Mukile said the introduction of the new policy meant June 25, 2026, would be remembered as "a historic day for thousands of Kenyans living abroad."

"The United Arab Emirates has thrown its doors wide open with a visa-on-arrival policy for eligible Kenyan ordinary passport holders and their families. Those of us holding valid residence permits from the United States, United Kingdom, European Union countries, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, or New Zealand can now fly into Dubai or Abu Dhabi and get a 14-day or 60-day visa right at the airport," he noted.

"No more endless embassy queues. No more weeks of waiting and uncertainty. No more watching our Kenyan passports act as an invisible wall, even after we've proven ourselves in some of the world's strictest immigration systems. This is freedom. This is momentum. And this is President William Ruto's diplomacy delivering real results," Mukile added.

According to Mukile, the policy represents one of the most tangible outcomes of the Kenya-UAE CEPA, which he says was intended to strengthen trade, investment, and people-to-people engagement between the two countries.

"This breakthrough is no coincidence. It flows directly from the landmark Kenya-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that President Ruto signed in January 2025, Kenya's first such deal with a Gulf powerhouse. While many celebrated the CEPA for its trade and investment promises, we in the diaspora are now experiencing its most personal and liberating benefit yet: genuine mobility," he said.

He argued that the new travel arrangements would create greater opportunities for business, investment, and knowledge transfer by making it easier for Kenyans abroad to use the UAE as a regional commercial hub.

"This ease of movement multiplies our ability to bring back investment, skills, technology, and networks to Kenya. When we move freely, Kenya moves forward faster," Mukile said.

Mukile noted that the policy was more than just a travel convenience, describing it as a recognition of the vital role Kenyans living abroad play in the country's development.

"This policy is more than convenience — it is validation. It tells the world that successful Kenyans abroad are assets, not risks. It turns our passport from a limitation into a launching pad when paired with hard-earned foreign credentials. The walls are coming down. The wings are spreading. Kenya is rising — and this time, the diaspora is flying right alongside," he concluded.