UK slaps new travel warning on Kenya

KENYA GETS ANOTHER ANTI TRAVEL BROADSIDE FROM THE UK

(Posted 22nd May 2019)

Kenyan tourism sources are once again up in arms over the unilateral issueing of a new anti travel advisory against their country by the UK government.
Yesterday, Tuesday, 21st of May, did the UK sharpen their F&C Office advice for travelers to Kenya, adding fresh warnings aimed at curbing the flow of visitors to Kenya.
The new advisory, among other guidance, reads: ‘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‘.
Narok is the gate way to the Masai Mara, Naivasha a leading Rift Valley lake resort area and Nanyuki, home to the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, generally seen as the gateway to Kenya’s northern parks and wilderness areas. Mombasa and Malindi of course are Kenya’s well known beach destinations and any such advisory is bound to have affects on tour operators and travel agents, fearing liability issues should anything happen to any of their clients.
How the UK government, in tatters over their handling of leaving the European Union, finds the energy to slap fresh anti travel warnings against Kenya, will probably remain a mystery but the fact remains, that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office did issue a new advisory, warning UK citizens about the dangers of being kidnapped while on vacation in Kenya.This follows action taken last month by the US, also issuing similar warnings to their citizens.
Both countries rank high, the US in fact comes out top, for tourists visiting Kenya for safaris and beach vacations.
Kenya Tourism Federation Chairman Mohammed Hersi denounced the decision of the UK to strenghten their anti travel advisories against Kenya as did a number of other tourism industry leaders and personalities in messages to ATCNews.org overnight.
Kenya has for long insisted on a consultative process prior to issuing new anti travel warnings and one tourism professional pointed out that members of diplomatic missions, including of the UK, continue to travel to the coast for weekend trips, to the central highlands around Nanyuki, to Naivasha and via Narok to the Masai Mara, which made the source wonder about double standards and possible ulterior motives for the timing and content of the F&C Office’s latest anti Kenya guidance.