Kenya to offer visas on arrival after online system hack

Kenya announced on July 27 that it will grant visas on arrival to all travelers, following a cyber incident that caused the collapse of the E-Citizen online application platform, making most government services inaccessible. 

Although the incident was attributed to hacking, officials assured that no data had been lost.

In a note verbale sent to foreign missions and international organisations, the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Ministry stated that visas on arrival will be issued as the e-citizen platform is being rectified. 

The government also advised airlines to allow travelers destined for Kenya to board their flights.

The e-visa application process typically involves accepting applications online, which must be submitted with relevant documentation for validation. With visas now being granted on arrival, there may be congestion at border clearance desks at airports as each applicant will need to be assessed upon arrival.

The government attributed the downtime on the eCitizen portal to hackers attempting to overload the system with data requests. 

“There was a cyber-attack on the eCitizen platform but no data was accessed or lost. We are addressing that, and we are not just coming up with instant remedial measures to address the current situation but are also ensuring that we build an elaborate risk mitigation framework,” said ICT Cabinet Secretary Mr Eliud Owalo on Spice FM.

He added that, “In this instance, they tried jamming the system by making more requests into the system than ordinary, which led to the slowing down of the system.”

Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for the cyber-attack, stating it was in protest against Kenya's alleged interference in Sudan's internal affairs. 

The group also claimed to have targeted mobile money transfer platforms, e-banking systems, and the electronic services of Kenya Power, a utility firm. 

While Kenya Power and some banks informed customers of the system downtime, they did not confirm any hacking.

CS Owalo said the government is taking measures to address the current situation and plans to establish a comprehensive risk mitigation framework to prevent future incidents.