The United Kingdom (UK) has issued an advisory cautioning its citizens residing in Kenya to avoid the Northern and Coastal regions due to the risk of terrorism from groups in neighboring countries.
On August 14, 2024, the UK government through the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) listed specified areas where its citizens should only travel if necessary.
“If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency,” the advisory read in part.
Among the areas listed is those within 60 kilometers of Kenya’s border with Somalia, Eastern Garissa County including the Boni National Reserve, Mandera (excluding Mandera West Sub-County) and areas in Lamu County excluding Lamu Island and Manda Island.
Other areas include the northern region of Tana River County and areas within 15 kilometers of the east Coast between the Tana River and Galana River.
UK Issues Advisory to its Citizens in Kenya
Further, the UK government advocated for citizens to regularly monitor the advisories before planning to travel to the country.
FCDO frequently publishes travel advisories on the government’s website to inform British nationals so as to make decisions about travelling abroad.
Earlier, Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo met with UK High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan.
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PS Omollo in a statement said that the two leaders discussed Kenya’s role as a regional security hub and recognized UK’s support in training and equipping the East African country’s security forces.
“Met with UK High Commissioner Neil Wigan to reinforce Kenya-UK bilateral security cooperation. We discussed Kenya’s role as a regional security hub and our commitment to fighting terrorism and organized crime. Further, we recognized the UK’s crucial support in training and equipping our security forces, which has bolstered our ability to address regional and global security challenges,” said Omollo.
Neil Wigan on his part said that the meeting involved a good practical discussion on deepening the two counties’ co-operation, against terrorism, organized crime, money laundering, cyber-threats and more.
Also, the UK advisory comes at a time Kenya has been witnessing rising security concerns particularly in Northeastern Kenya which have left scores injured or killed.
Foreigners Abducted
On Monday, August 12 evening, unidentified gunmen kidnapped two South Korean missionaries in northern Kenya, near the border of Ethiopia, while eight Kenyans were shot dead in a separate incident in the region, leaders from Marsabit County said.
“Two missionaries of Korean origin were abducted and (are being) held incommunicado to date,” Marsabit County Governor Mohamud Ali said in a statement on Tuesday.
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Marsabit County Commissioner James Kamau said a South Korean male and his mother-in-law were taken from their home in the village of Odda on Monday around 9 p.m.
The man’s mobile phone signal was last traced to the border with Ethiopia, Deputy County Commissioner David Saruni told Reuters late on Tuesday. “Efforts to locate him have been futile since the phone has been switched off,” Saruni said.
In another attack on Monday night, gunmen in “jungle attire” shot dead eight people and burned their bodies beside the lorry they were travelling in around 100 km west of Moyale town, according to a police report.
The arid borderlands between Kenya and Ethiopia are awash with weapons and suffer frequent raids by armed groups, and last year the government launched a security operation to disarm local bandits and bring calm and order to the region.
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