The UK government has issued a travel advisory warning its citizens against visiting certain parts of Kenya, particularly during the festive season.
In an update released on December 2, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) highlighted regions where travel is strongly discouraged or limited to essential purposes, citing potential threats such as kidnapping and terrorism.
UK residents were specifically advised against travelling to areas along the Kenya-Somalia border and parts of the north-eastern coast, where the risk of terrorist attacks is very high due to the presence of extremist groups.
“Frequent attacks have occurred in the north-eastern border regions, most of which were attributed to Al Shabaab. These attacks have claimed the lives of both Kenyan security forces and civilians," the advisory read.
"The Kenyan security forces have stepped up their presence in affected areas. Armed militia groups also operate within the Boni National Reserve and along the border with Somalia."
Among the regions flagged by FCDO included Mandera County; Tarbaj and Wajir East constituencies in Wajir County, excluding Wajir Town; areas of Wajir County within 60km of the Somali border; most of Garissa County, except Garissa Town,
Other areas are Lagdera constituency, and northern and western parts of Balambala constituency along the main Saka–C81 road; and Lamu County, except Lamu Island and Manda Island.
In addition, UK residents were advised to limit their travel to certain locations, urging them to travel to these regions solely for essential purposes. These locations include Garissa Town; northern parts of Tana River County up to the town of Saka; and areas within 15km of the east coast between the Tana River and the Galana (Athi-Galana-Sabaki) River.
Along the coast, travellers planning to visit the tourism-rich Lamu Island and Manda Island have been advised to use air transport rather than travel by road due to security concerns.
Citizens were also urged to register with the FCDO to make it easier for their government to track their movements.
This is the third alert the UK has issued in less than three months, coming just weeks after a similar notice was issued in the wake of the volatility that followed the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Part of the reason the UK has consistently flagged Northern Kenya is because of the lingering threat, which Kenyan security forces are still trying to quell.
As recently as on November 30, several terrorists were gunned down by a multi-agency security team while attempting to enter the country through the Kenya-Somalia border.
The well-coordinated attack and swift action by the specialised officers prevented a potential threat to the country's national security, restoring calm along the ever-risky border.
