United States (US) President Donald Trump through the US State Department issued a new travel advisory alert for Kenya, citing the upcoming party nominations and the General Election as a potential recipe for chaos in the country.
The State Department noted that there had been unrest due to political events in the past, and since all political parties in Kenya would start selecting their candidates for National and County offices from April, US citizens should be alert and avoid political gatherings as violence could easily erupt.
"The State Department alerts US citizens residing in or travelling to Kenya that general elections are scheduled for August 8, 2017, candidate selection for national and county offices will take place throughout the country in April, followed by nationwide campaigning.
"Demonstrations and protests may occur with little notice and even those intended to be peaceful can escalate into violence.You should avoid areas of gatherings, protests, and demonstrations, and exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of any such events," the statement read in part.
The travel advisory urged US Citizens to remain alerted when using public transportation and report specific safety concerns to local law enforcement authorities.
The State Department also noted that the previous advisory dated March 13, 2017, should not be ignored as some areas in the country still remain as "high-risk areas". Some of the areas marked as high-risk areas include Nairobi's Eastleigh Estate and border areas between Somalia and Kenya.
The new advisory expires on the 31st of August 2017 after the end of the General Election.
Here is a copy of the alert posted on the US State Department Website
