A US lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to abolish the Diversity Visa Lottery, a programme that offers up to 55,000 people annually a chance to obtain permanent residency in the United States, including eligible applicants from Kenya and other African countries.

Republican Congressman Keith Self of Texas introduced the proposal on October 22, arguing that the programme should be scrapped as part of efforts to tighten US immigration policy.

The move could affect Kenyans who hope to secure US permanent residency through the lottery if the bill is passed into law. However, the proposal has only been introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. It has not become law.

The Diversity Visa Lottery is designed to benefit people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the US. Successful applicants must also meet education or work experience requirements before they can obtain a visa.

The proposal follows a legal dispute over the programme after President Donald Trump’s administration suspended visa issuance in December 2025.

A California judge later ordered the programme reinstated. However, the US State Department announced a fresh pause on all diversity visa issuances effective August 28, 2026, following a court order that lifted the earlier suspension.

Self has criticised the court’s intervention, arguing that immigration policy should be determined by elected leaders. His bill now faces consideration in Congress, meaning the lottery has not been abolished through this proposal