Uganda Retains 72nd Place as Kenya Leads East Africa in 2026 Passport Rankings

What the report says

Nile Post reported that Uganda has stayed 72nd in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, with Ugandan passport holders able to enter 65 destinations without securing a visa in advance or by obtaining one on arrival. The ranking leaves Uganda behind Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania in East Africa, but the report frames the result as part of a gradual rebound from Uganda’s low point in 2021.

According to the report, Kenya remains the region’s strongest passport, ranking 68th globally with access to 70 destinations, up from 68 in 2025. Rwanda and Tanzania are both placed 69th, each with access to 68 destinations. Rwanda improved from 76th place in 2025, while Tanzania kept the same global position despite a decline in the number of accessible destinations. Uganda’s recent performance has been more stable: Nile Post says it rose from 81st in 2021 to 76th in 2022, ranked 78th in 2023, moved to 73rd in 2024, and has held near that level since.

The article also notes mixed results elsewhere in the region, with Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia improving in rank even as their visa-free access numbers fell. Across Africa, Seychelles leads with a 23rd-place global ranking and access to 155 destinations, followed by Mauritius at 26th with 148 destinations. Globally, Singapore tops the index with access to 192 destinations, while Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates share second place with 188.

The Henley Passport Index, compiled using International Air Transport Association data, compares 199 passports across 227 travel destinations. It is widely used as a measure of global mobility and the relative travel freedom available to citizens of different countries.