MOFA denies Kenyan travel reports – Taipei Times
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Fri, Jul 03, 2026 page2
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MOFA denies Kenyan travel reports
- Staff writer, with CNA
No reports have been received of Taiwanese being denied entry into Kenya, despite reports that a Kenyan official suggested holders of Taiwan passports would not be allowed into the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Wednesday
Kenyan Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei said that travelers holding Taiwanese passports would “ordinarily be denied entry at Kenya’s borders for lacking proper travel documentation,” 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 Kenyan government,” Sing’oei was quoted as saying
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ name and logo is pictured in an undated photograph
Sing’oei also reaffirmed Kenya’s adherence to the “one China” policy, under which Nairobi recognizes the People’s Republic of China rather than Taiwan, the report said
However, Taiwanese passport holders can still enter Kenya, provided that their passport is valid for at least six months and they obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization, in accordance with Kenya’s regulations, the MOFA said
The ministry said that 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 reported remarks might have been in response to an incident last month involving a Taiwanese delegation to the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, the ministry said
Organizers of a pre-conference event refused to accredit the Taiwanese delegates because they held Taiwanese passports, the MOFA and the Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) said at the time
Two Taiwanese delegates were later detained by Kenyan immigration officials for about 20 hours, during which their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, the OAC said
Following their release, the two Taiwanese immediately departed Kenya and returned to Taiwan, the OAC said
Other members of the Taiwanese delegation, including OAC officials who had not yet arrived in Kenya for the June 16 to 18 conference, subsequently canceled their participation, it said
Taiwan withdrew its delegation to protect the personal safety of its citizens in light of the Kenyan government’s “extremely unfriendly gestures,” the MOFA said
The MOFA and the OAC said that Kenya’s actions were taken under political pressure from Beijing, although neither provided further details
MOFA has an “orange” travel alert for Kenya, citing regional security concerns and the country’s treatment of Taiwanese traveling there
Under Taiwan’s four-tier travel advisory system — coded “gray,” “yellow,” “orange” and “red” — an orange alert advises people to “avoid unnecessary travel,” and urges travelers to reconsider non-essential trips and exercise a high degree of caution
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