Kenya Tagged as High-Risk Destination as U.S. Issues Travel Advisory
The U.S. Embassy in Kenya has released a travel warning, urging American citizens traveling to Kenya to be careful due to “increased security dangers.”
The warning, from March 18th, mentioned several worries, including crime, terrorism, and public disturbances, throughout Kenya, with some areas being riskier than others.
“Be cautious in Kenya because of crime, terrorism, public disturbances, and kidnappings. Some parts of the country have a higher risk,” the warning stated.
The U.S. Embassy specifically pointed out the counties bordering Kenya and Somalia, such as Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera, calling them very dangerous areas. Tana River County and coastal areas north of Malindi were also marked as risky due to the ongoing threat of terrorism and kidnappings.
Terrorism was not the only security issue mentioned. The embassy also stated that West Pokot and western Turkana County are very dangerous for U.S. citizens because these areas often experience bandit activity.
Furthermore, areas within 50 kilometers of the Ethiopian border were labeled as dangerous because of conflicts that cross the border.
The decision to flag areas near the Ethiopian border likely resulted from the terrible attack in February involving people from the Turkana community and Dasanach fishermen at Lopemukat common waters along the Kenya-Ethiopia border. The attack caused at least 20 deaths and several missing persons.
In Nairobi, the embassy identified two areas—Eastleigh and Kibera—as having extremely high security risks.
“Violent crimes, like armed carjacking, mugging, home invasions, and kidnappings, can happen at any time,” the embassy cautioned, adding that Kenyan security forces may not be able to effectively respond to crimes and terrorist attacks.
The warning about violent crimes in Nairobi comes during an ongoing investigation into the death of Scott Campbell, a British citizen who disappeared in February and was later found murdered in Makueni County.
Also, U.S. citizens were advised to be alert for protests and labor strikes, with the embassy warning that major roads are often blocked by protesters, causing serious traffic problems.
Regarding terrorism, the embassy identified government buildings, schools, places of worship, shopping centers, and hotels as places where attacks could happen “with little or no warning.”
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Kenya Tagged as High-Risk Destination as U.S. Issues Travel Advisory
