BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER IN NAIROBI DENIES CHANGE IN ANTI TRAVEL ADVISORY – YET A CHANGE WAS MADE ON 21ST OF MAY
(Posted 23rd May 2019)
When ATCNews yesterday reported a change in the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office’ anti travel advice for Kenya (https://atcnews.org/2019/05/22/uk-slaps-new-travel-warning-on-kenya/) did it not take long for the British High Commissioner to tweet about it, denying that Britain had actually issued a new advisory.
Yet, had he looked at the FCO’s own website dealing with Kenya, he would have seen that indeed on the 21st of May, i.e. a day before ATCNews reported about it, an update was filed.
The ATCNews article attracted over 25.000 hits and readers do deserve to know the truth, hence this update and sharing both the Tweet as well as the relevant FCO website snippet where one can actually see and read what the UK has put out for their citizens living in or visiting Kenya.
As often said before, often in connection with advisories issued on the trot – some of which were not much later unceremoniously withdrawn – and often issued when the UK was seemingly using such advisories to bully Kenya into ‘compliance’, is Kenya a fundamentally safe country to visit, as are the other East African countries.
It is extremely rare that tourists come to any harm and Kenya’s tourism fraternity, through KTF’s 24/7 emergency response centre, are keeping close tabs on anything happening in Kenya which might require an immediate response and action.
‘However, there’s a heightened threat of terrorism, including terrorist kidnappings, across Kenya, including to people travelling in or through Nairobi, the coast and resort areas around Mombasa and Malindi, the towns of Narok, Naivasha, Nanyuki and Meru and their surrounding areas, and the northern border counties. Attacks, including terrorist kidnappings, could target Westerners, including British nationals.‘
Therefore are these anti travel advisories nowadays often seen as Foreign Ministries in the so called developed world covering their behinds and putting a buffer between themselves and any potential legal action their citizens might take against them, especially in countries where the culture of sueing all and sundry has become a national pastime.
Regardless of that, is Kenya and are other affected countries perfectly entitled to demand consultations prior to issuing anti travel advisories as are the respective private sectors entitled to voice their outrage, when their businesses are impacted by anti travel advisories.
Citing obscure intelligence sources is today largely seen as a smoke screen behind which those who issue the anti travel advisories regularly hide while masking their real intent and any ulterior motives they might have.
In the case of Kenya and the UK, everyone with eyes to see will know that too often in the past did Britain have ulterior motives for their reactions towards Kenya and it is up to readers to make up their own mind what and whom they believe.
Quod erat demonstrandum!
