East Africa Legislative Assembly MP David Ole Sankok has clarified that concerns over the strength of the Kenyan passport are misplaced, as the region is moving toward a single East African passport.
Speaking on the potential challenges of a confederation or federation with Uganda and Tanzania, Sankok during an interview with Radio Generation on Thursday, emphasized that the focus is not on individual country passports, but a unified regional identity.
Addressing concerns about passport strength in a potential East African confederation, Sankok said, “Probably you are talking in terms of currency, but in terms of passports, we are doing away with individual country passports. I told you, yeah, it is actually the East African passport issued in Uganda and in Kenya.”
He explained that all citizens, regardless of their country of origin, will hold the same passport, eliminating differences in travel strength based on nationality.
MP Sankok noted that the broader aim is to achieve an East African Confederation with a single currency and a unified economic structure.
“Once we have that Confederation with a single arm, with a single currency, it is only the issue of currency that is now because some currencies are too weak, some are too strong. But we have experts,” he noted.
“We have the statistics bureau of East Africa. We have all of them that are working on towards having a central bank with a single currency so to harmonize even the strength of the currency,” he said.
The legislator also linked the regional integration to a wider Pan-African vision.
Sankok envisions a future where Africa unites under the “United States of Africa,” leveraging its human and natural resources to become a global superpower.
“Africa may not be good in producing phones, cars like Toyota, made in Japan, Mercedes made in Germany, those machines. But we are really a factory of human beings. We produce children like nobody’s business. So in terms of human resource, we are also very strong,” he said.
Sankok added that Africa’s underground resources and favorable climate make the continent uniquely positioned for growth and development, reinforcing the potential benefits of regional unity.
The East African passport, he said, is just one step toward this larger goal of integration, unity, and increased global influence.
Recent data from the 2025 Henley Passport Index shows Kenya’s passport has dropped to 70th position, granting holders access to 70 destinations without a prior visa, down from 76 last year.
The ranking places Kenya alongside The Gambia, though it remains the strongest passport in East Africa, ahead of Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.
In 2024, Kenya had climbed six places to 67th, but the latest index shows a reversal. Tanzania shares the 70th spot, Uganda follows at 72nd with access to 67 countries, and Rwanda is at 75th, offering access to 63 destinations.
The decline comes despite Nairobi’s reforms, including the January 2024 move to scrap visas for most foreign visitors in favor of an Electronic Travel Authorisation system.
President William Ruto said the initiative aimed to strengthen regional integration and promote tourism growth across Africa.
