Hon. Kim Gai, MP at the East African Legislative Assembly - Courtesy

An EAC lawmaker has clarified that Kenya’s recent visa policy will impose charges only on individuals who overstay their visas for more than three months, with a similar policy applying to Kenyans who overstay in South Sudan.

Last week, the South Sudan Embassy in Kenya issued a notice advising citizens of the new visa fees, which require South Sudanese nationals to pay $201 for a six-month overstaying extension.

Extensions for travel documents or passports will cost $51 if not renewed.

Kenya’s Foreign National Service has also announced a penalty of $601 for individuals overstaying beyond six months.

It stated individuals seeking extensions of their travel documents will pay fifty-one dollars ($51).

The Kenya Foreign National Service has announced that it will sanction a six-month overstay with six hundred and one United States dollars.

Early this year, Kenyan President Dr William Ruto announced that foreign tourists would no longer be required to pay visas.

Hon. Kim clarified that the fees apply only to those overstaying their visit in a member state.

According to him, all citizens of member states are entitled to a free, three-month stay in any EAC country, which can be renewed either by leaving the country or applying for an extension at an immigration office.

“All visas entering each partner state should be within three months once the three months have expired you have to exit the country and re-enter the country in which you will be given the free visa and three months again,” said Hon Kim.

“Those who overstayed for more than three months and did not exit are people who are going to be charged that fee,” he stated.

“The government of Kenya is not the only one who imposes that fee on the citizens of South Sudan even our government also imposes those fees when Kenyans overstay in South Sudan,” he said.

Hon. Kim is now encouraging South Sudanese students and residents to visit the nearest immigration office to obtain a free resident permit.

“If you are a resident you have the right to visit the nearest immigration office you will get a free resident permit, and also those who are studying in the EAC member state have been given student visas for one year,” Hon Kim said.

“Those charges are just on those who are entering to come and visit. So, we urging our citizens that those are things being agreed upon by the partner’s state,” he said.

“We have to make sure that we respect those laws because when you are visiting any or one of these partners’ states who are members of East African communities you must make sure that if your three months are expired you need to visit the nearest immigration office and they will renew your three months’ free visa,” he stated.