Nairobi — Kenya's passport ranking strength dropped by one point to 68 this year, a new global passport ranking system shows, meaning that Kenyans can travel visa-free to fewer countries than in 2024.

Henley Passport Index 2024 January Ranking indicates that the country's global passport ranking stood at number 67 last year.

With the drop, this means that local passport holders can visit only 74 nations globally without visas, down from 76 last year.

This comes at a time when the government of President William Ruto is opening Kenya to international travelers as it seeks to boost tourism numbers.

During the Jamhuri Day in 2023, the Head of State announced that starting January 2024, foreign visitors to Kenya will not be required to have a visa to enter the country.

He said that an electronic travel authorization will be granted to foreign nationals visiting Kenya, adding that a visa-free regime aligns with his administration's quest to boost the growth of tourism and borderless commerce.

On the African continent, the Seychelles passport is the strongest, with its own citizens able to visit 156 countries without visas globally, and it is number 25 on the worldwide ranking list.

While Mauritian citizens can travel to 151 nations visa-free, South Africans can travel to 106.

Other countries with strong passports include Botswana (57), Namibia (81), Lesotho (79), Eswatini (77), and Malawi (75).