US Issues Travel Advisory For Its Citizens in Kenya

According to a statement issued by the US embassy in Kenya on Monday, credible information indicates Westerners may be targeted by extremists in Nairobi, Naivasha, Nanyuki, and Coastal areas of Kenya. The U.S. Embassy reminds the public of the continued need for heightened vigilance throughout Kenya, especially in public spaces such as shopping malls, hotels, and places of worship.

The embassy recommends that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Nairobi enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact its citizens in an emergency. The statement also said that if the u.s citizen doesn’t have Internet access, he or she should enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

The advisory asked US citizens to be aware of their surroundings, and report suspicious activity to authorities immediately. It also cautions about visiting locations frequented by tourists/Westerners.

The warning comes just weeks after a deadly al-Shabab attack on an upmarket hotel in the capital, Nairobi, in which at least 21 people, including a US citizen, were shot dead.

Sixteen Kenyans and a British citizen were also killed in the siege that lasted more than 19 hours.
Meanwhile, the UK government updated its travel advisory to the country saying Britons should avoid areas near the Somalia-Kenya border and parts of the coastal region.

According to the UK’s foreign and commonwealth office “there’s a heightened threat of terrorist attacks across Kenya, including Nairobi and the coast and resort areas around Mombasa and Malindi, and northern border counties”.