Fabiola Mushi
Kenya has exempted passport holders from seven countries from paying an unpopular entry fee introduced last month.
The government scrapped visa requirements for all foreign passport holders last month.
The move was seen as an attempt to promote Kenya as a tourist destination and to attract business travellers. But a $30 entry fee was introduced, including for some visitors who previously did not require visas.
The decision caused a huge backlash, with critics saying that it could lead to countries with which Kenya has visa-waiver agreements introducing a similar fee, making travel more costly and bureaucratic.
The exemption has been extended to passport holders from six African states – South Africa, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros and Mozambique.
San Marino, Europe’s third-smallest nation, is the only other country on the exemption list.
