There is hope for easier travel for Kenyans going to the UK after Britain and Kenya announced they were pursuing recognition of each other's Covid-19 vaccination certification.

In a statement, British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriot and Health CS Mutahi Kagwe announced that the UK had finally expunged Kenya from its Covid-19 Red List.

Kagwe intimated that the two countries were delighted about the UK's decision and that it was a result of a strong collaboration between the two governments.

“We are both delighted that Kenya is off the UK’s red list, which is the result of strong collaboration between our governments and public health experts,” the statement read.

The two officials affirmed that indeed there was a growing concern among travelers in both countries about the matter of vaccine certification to allow easier travel.

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Marriot and Kagwe reiterated that Kenya and UK acknowledge that it would be false to say the vaccines administered in both countries were unapproved.

“There has been significant public concern about the issue of vaccine certification. We want to make it clear that both the UK and Kenya recognize vaccines administered in both countries: Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. It is false to state that vaccines administered in either country are ‘unapproved’,” the statement went on.

They indicated that establishing a system to recognize vaccine certificate in both countries for a vaccine passport programmed would take some time.

“But establishing a system to mutually recognize each other’s vaccine certificates for a vaccine passport programme for travel takes times, particularly in an unprecedented pandemic,” it added. 

They intimated the two countries are working fast to ensure they complete the process of recognizing each country’s vaccines certificates.

“At present, neither country has completed the process of recognizing the other country’s vaccine certificates. We are working as fast as possible to ensure this happens so travel is as smooth as possible for our peoples,’’ the statement concluded.