UK lifts advisories on Narok, Naivasha, Meru

The UK has dropped Narok, Naivasha, Nanyuki, Meru and surrounding areas from a list of destinations in Kenya where it advises her citizens to be “particularly vigilant” over terrorism threat.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has, however, maintained its nationals travelling in or through Nairobi, the Coast and resort areas around Mombasa and Malindi should be wary of possible terrorist attacks, including kidnappings.

In an updated travel advisory issued on Wednesday following the previous one in May, Britons have also been asked to be cautious while travelling through or in counties on Kenya’s northern border.

“Attacks, including terrorist kidnappings, could target Westerners, including British nationals,” the FCO maintains in the latest travel guidance. “Attacks could be indiscriminate in places frequented by foreigners including hotels, bars, restaurants, sports bars and nightclubs.”

Sporting events, supermarkets, shopping centres, commercial buildings, coastal areas including beaches, government buildings, airports, buses and trains are also listed as targets for terrorists.

UK was the fourth largest source market for tourists after the US, Tanzania and Uganda with some 184,002 Britons visiting Kenya in 2018, an equivalent of 9.09 percent of 2,025,206 total guests.

The country’s foreign affairs ministry advises against all but essential travels to areas within 60 kilometres of the Kenya-Somali border, Garissa County and a larger part of the Lamu County, excluding Lamu Island and Manda Island.

Such a guidance also applies to areas north of Tana River in Tana River County and those within 15km off the coast from the Tana River down to the Galana River.

The US Department of State, which is in charge of foreign affairs, on April 9 listed Kenya among 35 countries in the world.