Kenya Travel Alert

SUBJECT: TRAVEL WARNING - KENYA

October 23, 2007

1. This Travel Warning  23, is being issued to remind American citizens to consider carefully the risks of travel to Kenya at this time and updates information on safety and security concerns.  This supersedes the Travel Warning of February 6, 2007.

2. The Department continues to recommend that private American citizens in Kenya evaluate their personal security situation in light of continuing terrorist threats and increasing incidents of violent crime.
Terrorist acts may include suicide operations, bombings, attacks on civil aviation, and attacks on maritime vessels in or near Kenyan ports.  Violent criminal attacks, including armed carjacking, kidnappings, and home invasions/burglary, can occur at any time and in any location, and are becoming increasingly frequent, brazen, vicious, and often fatal.  In January 2007, two family members of a U.S. Embassy employee were killed by armed carjackers.  Kenyan authorities have limited capacity to deter and investigate such acts.

3. U.S. citizens should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate and random attacks on civilian targets in public places, including tourist sites and locations where foreigners are known to congregate, as well as commercial operations associated with U.S. or other foreign interests.

4. American citizens in Kenya should remain vigilant, particularly in public places frequented by foreigners such as clubs, hotels, resorts, upscale shopping centers, restaurants, and places of worship.  Americans should also remain vigilant in residential areas, schools, and at outdoor recreational events, and should avoid demonstrations and large crowds.

5. Americans who travel to or reside in Kenya despite this Travel Warning are encouraged to register through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov.  By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.  Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.  The U.S. Embassy is located on United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya; telephone (254)
(20) 363-6000; fax (254) (20) 363-6410.  In the event of an after-hours emergency, the Embassy duty officer may be contacted at (254) (20) 363-6170.  The Embassy home page is http://nairobi.usembassy.gov. 

6. Updated information on travel and security in Kenya may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888- 407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  For further information please consult the Consular Information Sheet for Kenya, the East Africa Public Announcement, and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at
http://travel.state.gov.

American Citizen Services Unit
Consular Section
U.S. Embassy Nairobi
Tel: ( 254) 20 375 3704
Fax:( 254) 20 363 6410
Email: kenya_acs@state.gov
Emergency Telephone Number (254) 20 363 6170
Note: Online registration is available at https://travelregistration.state.gov. Please update your registration with the Embassy once a year.