Investments in new trade destinations and inclusion of more states in the visa free bracket has strengthened Kenya’s passport ranking to 67 from 73 in 2023, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index ranking.
However, despite an increasing number of African nations like Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia investing heavily in aviation, the continent is yet to make in the top ten or at least the top fifteen of the annual passport rankings.
The Seychelles passport is the highest ranked in Africa at number 26 in the global score. It is the continent’s smallest and least populated country.
It takes the first place in Africa’s top ten powerful passports, with access to 156 visa-free destinations, followed by Mauritius with 150 destinations at position 30. South Africa, the continents most advanced economy is ranked 53.
Namibia is placed fourth in Africa but at position 65 globally with 80 visa-free destinations.
Kenya and Malawi are tied at position 67 globally with visa-free access to 76 destinations, followed by Tanzania at position 69 with 73 destinations.
Morocco, Tunisia, and Zambia are position 71 in the global ranking with 71 visa-free destinations, closing the continent’s top ten.
Henley and Partners chairman Christian Kaelin in the statement said there is growth in travellers’ access to nations.
“The average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024,” said Kaelin.
The United States dropped to position 7 for the most powerful passport globally. Currently, US citizens are able to visit 188 destinations without a visa, compared to 2014 when the US held the top spot with the United Kingdom.
“The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team,” reads the statement.
The United Arab Emirates recorded the fastest climb on the index with 106 new destinations to its visa-free score over the past decade catapulting it from position 55 place in 2014 to 11 in 2024.
Passports ranked as the most powerful globally are those of Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, according to the 2024 Index.
The top-ranked countries are able to travel to 155 more destinations than the bottom-ranked country, Afghanistan (a war-torn nation), whose citizens can only go to 28 countries visa-free.
Syria and Iraq also offer visa-free travel to 29 and 31 destinations, respectively.