There have been no reports of Taiwanese being denied entry into Kenya, despite recent comments by a Kenyan official suggesting that holders of Taiwan passports would not be allowed into the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
Kenyan Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei said travelers holding Taiwanese passports would normally be denied entry at Kenya’s borders, the Kenyan Times reported on June 17.
“Any person purporting to hold a Taiwanese passport would ordinarily not be allowed through our borders for lacking proper documentation and would not in any event be part of a formal state meeting convened by [the] Kenya government,” Sing’oei was quoted as saying.
Photo: CNA
Sing’oei also reaffirmed Kenya’s adherence to the “one China” principle, under which Nairobi recognizes the People’s Republic of China rather than the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name), the report said.
However, MOFA yesterday said that Taiwanese passport holders can still enter Kenya, provided their passport is valid for at least six months and they obtain Electronic Travel Authorization, in accordance with Kenya’s regulations.
The ministry said it would continue to monitor any changes to Kenya’s entry policies to safeguard the rights and interests of Taiwanese traveling there for business or tourism.
Sing’oei’s remarks might have been made in response to an incident last month involving a Taiwanese delegation to the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, the ministry said.
Organizers of a preconference event refused to accredit the Taiwanese delegates because they held Taiwan passports, MOFA and the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) said.
Two Taiwanese delegates were later detained by Kenyan immigration officials for about 20 hours, during which their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, the council said.
Following their release, the two immediately departed Kenya and returned to Taiwan, it said.
Other members of the Taiwan delegation, including OAC officials who had not yet arrived in Kenya for the June 16 to 18 conference, subsequently canceled their participation, the council said.
Taiwan withdrew its delegation to protect the personal safety of its citizens, in light of the Kenyan government’s “extremely unfriendly gestures,” MOFA said.
Kenya’s actions were due to political pressure from Beijing, MOFA and the OAC said, though neither provided further details.
MOFA maintains an orange travel alert for Kenya, citing regional security concerns and the country’s treatment of Taiwanese.
Under Taiwan’s four-tier travel advisory system — coded gray, yellow, orange and red — an orange alert advises citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and urges travelers to reconsider non-essential trips and exercise a high degree of caution.
