Following a series of beach-front attacks on tourists along the Kenyan coast by armed gangs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued a warning to UK travellers in the area.
A statement from the FCO about the Kenya travel situation advises “all but essential travel to coastal areas within 150km of the Somali border”.
The new upgrade in the travel warning – from 60km to 150km of the Somali border – comes in the wake of a second attack on Saturday, 1 October, by armed gangs in small boats targeting beach resorts in the Lamu area of the country. In the latest attack, a Frenchwoman Marie DeDieu, was abducted from Manda Island.
The first attack took place on 11 September when gunmen shot Briton David Tebbutt and kidnapped his wife Judith from Kiwayu.
Both attacks were on beach-front properties, with two Westerners kidnapped and one murdered. The FCO stated that beach-front accommodation in that area and boats off the coast are vulnerable.
The Kenya-Somalia border, including the coastal strip north of Pate Island towards Somali waters is included in the FCO travel advice. If you are planning on visiting Lamu Island, the FCO advice is to do so by air if possible.
Buses and other vehicles on the road to Lamu have been attacked by armed robbers in the past and overland travel from Lamu to Malindi should only be undertaken in an armed police convoy.
In addition to this area of Kenya, the FCO also advises against all but essential travel to low income areas of Nairobi, including all township or slum areas.
Kenya is a popular long-haul travel destination for many Brits: according to the Kenya Tourist Board 164,169 British nationals visited Kenya in 2009. Last year (April 2010 – March 2011) just 81 British nationals in Kenya required consular support.
The FCO will continue to monitor the situation and update advice to travellers as the situation unfolds.
(Image: sarahbeach)
