Is Kenya safe to travel?

Common crime is high across the country, in particular in Nairobi and Mombasa, where assaults, some of them armed, can happen and foreigners are not spared. Demonstrations can turn violent, so stay away from gatherings and keep journeys to the ones you actually need. Armed robberies, some of them fatal, have been recorded in both hotels and private houses: if you are not staying in a hotel on the coast, rent only houses with a guard service and reliable staff.

The threat of Islamist terrorism, in particular from Al Shabaab, remains high, and the risk along the coastal strip also remains high. New hostile acts, including against foreigners, remain possible in Nairobi and in coastal tourist places such as Malindi and Watamu. In Nairobi the alert level has been raised step by step and sensitive places, big hotels included, are under reinforced police surveillance. Take particular care in all public places, places of worship, shopping centres and hotels; the risk of attacks can rise around religious holidays, anniversaries and political events.

Al Shabaab and affiliated local groups have attacked repeatedly and with many victims in Garissa, Mandera, Wajir and Lamu counties, and the ministry recommends avoiding that border belt, Tana River county included. There is also a kidnapping risk for foreigners there and in the remote north, for extortion or for terrorist ends. Traffickers of various kinds also operate across the border, and gunfights between rival gangs or with the Kenyan police sometimes result, as happened recently.

Avoid non-essential travel in the arid northern regions, where armed raids and clashes between pastoral and settled communities can occur. The same banditry has flared further south in Laikipia, Baringo, Elgeyo, Marakwet and West Pokot, where non-essential travel should also be avoided and the measures imposed by the Kenyan government respected, and local clashes are reported in the Trans Mara area of Narok county. If you are heading for a national park, keep checking the security situation in that area.

The ministry says that security conditions on Lamu island and in the archipelago are currently compatible with tourist activity, but advises staying highly vigilant when moving outside your accommodation. It recommends reaching the island by air only, and overland journeys between Lamu and Malindi are strongly advised against. Stay cautious on the coast too, even far from the Somali border, at Watamu and Malindi.

In Nairobi the north-eastern districts such as Eastleigh and Pangani and all marginal areas are advised against, and police have flagged robbery hot spots on Thika Road near Mathare, at the Globe Roundabout with Kipande and Kirinyaga Road, at Fig Tree market, at ABC Place and Kangemi on Waiyaki Way, on Ngong Road and in parts of the CBD. In Mombasa, limit non-essential trips in the city and look for alternatives to the Likoni Ferry.

March to May and October to December are the rainy seasons. In recent years heavy rain has caused floods and landslides that badly damaged infrastructure and killed many people. El Niño could make conditions worse, bringing flash floods, landslides along roads, urban areas included, and a resurgence of disease, in particular cholera, typhoid fever and malaria (ask your doctor or vaccination centre). During torrential rain limit non-essential journeys, expect road closures and significant slowdowns on the main roads, and do not try to cross a flooded road or a submerged bridge on foot or in a vehicle, because of the risk of flash floods. In thunderstorms stay away from watercourses, open spaces and trees. Follow the Kenya Meteorological Department bulletins and the guidance of the local authorities, in particular the National Disaster Management Unit.