Kenya Tourism Federation CEO Susan OngaloThe Kenya Tourism Federation has asked the government to address technical hiccups in the issuance of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) by deploying the necessary measures to resolve the problem.
While noting that it is high season for the tourism sector, KFT urged the government to mobilise all technical resources to fully stabilise the ETA platform.
“There should be a dedicated crisis desk (hotline/email/chat) with direct escalation to Immigration for urgent cases. A number of clients have reported inability to get help and this needs to be resolved urgently,” KTF said in a statement signed by chairman Fred Odek and the CEO Susan Ongalo.
While emphasising the need for urgent resolution of the issue, KTF noted that “the tourism sector is a very critical aspect of Kenya’s economy and providing much needed revenues and employmen."
The federation welcomed the recent system upgrade to the ETA platform but said technical failures need to be urgently addressed.
In February, Tourism CS Rebecca Miano announced that ETA platform would be improved by shortening the time taken to issue the authorisation to the point of receiving it in real time, immediately after payment.
On March 29, 2025, KTF said it fully appreciates the government’s intention to modernise ETA platform, but said system inefficiencies have led to significant financial losses, reputational harm and operational paralysis across the tourism sector.
“Numerous travellers including tourists and business visitors have been facing ETA application delays, payment failures or system blackouts,” the federation said.
ETA is a digital travel permit, commonly required for entry into specific jurisdictions, including Kenya, and is an alternative to a visa for certain nationalities.
It's a semi-automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to Kenya, and is mandatory for all foreign visitors except citizens of EAC member states
KTF is the national apex body of the tourism private sector in Kenya, representing the eight key tourism trade associations.
They include Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO); Kenya Association of Air Operators (KAAO); Pubs Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK); Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA); Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA); Ecotourism Kenya (EK); Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) and the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA).
