The 2020 list of world’s most powerful passports has been released, with Kenya’s travel document emerging eighth most powerful in Africa.
According to the Henley Passport Index, which periodically measures the world’s most travel-friendly passports, Kenya offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 71 destinations around the world.
The report released Tuesday indicates the Kenyan passport has moved two places to position 72 out of 107 countries.
In East Africa, Kenya is top of the leaderboard followed by Tanzania which is ranked 73 globally, with its citizens able to access 70 destinations without a visa.
Uganda comes in third and 77 globally with access to 66 destinations. Rwanda and Burundi are fourth and fifth respectively at positions 83 and 93 globally, with access to 59 and 49 destinations without a visa.
Seychelles, which has the most powerful passport in Africa, is ranked 29 globally with access to 151 destinations. Kenya also falls behind South Africa(56), Botswana(62), Namibia(67), Lesotho(69), eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) at position 70 and Malawi(71).
“As we enter the new decade, Kenya ranks at number 72, eight places lower than its position on the index in 2010,” the report reads in part.
Kenyan passport holders can travel to 32 African countries, 15 Caribbean, 11 Asian, nine in Oceania, and two countries in Americas and Middle East respectively, without a prior visa.
Japan has the strongest passport, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to an incredible 191 destinations. Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190) and South Korea tying with Germany in third place (with a score of 189).
The US and the UK hold joint eighth place, down from the number one spot they jointly held five years ago, in 2015.
The Afghan passport is the worst to hold with only 26 destinations, followed by Iraq (28), Syria (29), and Somalia, Pakistan (32).
