Kenya 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Kenya. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Kenya-specific page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Kenya at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution. Do Not Travel to: Kenya-Somalia border and some coastal areas due to terrorism. Areas of Turkana County due to crime. Reconsider Travel to: Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera at all times due to crime and kidnapping. Be especially careful when traveling after dark anywhere in Kenya due to crime. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Nairobi as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The greatest threats continue to be road safety and crime. Violent and sometimes fatal criminal attacks, including home invasions, burglaries, armed carjackings, and kidnappings can occur at any time and in any location. Criminals frequently use weapons during the commission of their crime. Most criminals rob victims of their possessions and release them unharmed, if they are completely cooperative. However, criminals will not hesitate to shoot a victim who is uncooperative or who may appear to hesitate before complying with their assailant. One tactic of carjackers is to tie up victims and put them in the back seat or trunk of their own car, transporting them to an ATM to withdraw cash. Street crime is a serious problem, particularly in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Meru, and other large cities. Most street crime involves multiple armed assailants. In some instances, large crowds of street criminals incite criminal activity, which has the potential to escalate into mob violence with little notice. Do not walk/run outside of known, safe areas. Avoid hailing taxis from the street; this often results in robbery. Along with other crimes of opportunity, pickpockets and thieves often carry out snatch-and-grab attacks in crowded areas and from vehicles idling in traffic, relieving pedestrians or drivers of purses, cell phones or other easily accessible belongings. Keep vehicle windows up and doors locked at all times. CAMBODIA: Pursuit of Opposition Highlights Political Tensions Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud, Taking Credit, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Cybersecurity Issues There are an estimated 3,000 cyber-crime incidences reported in Kenya every month. According to Information Technology, Security, and Assurance Kenya, internet-based crimes range from bank fraud and illegal money transfers to the compromise of personal data. Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Cars drive on the left side of the road, with drivers on the right side of the car; this poses additional challenges for inexperienced international drivers. Road conditions range from relatively well maintained to very poor. Within Nairobi, drivers have to compete with pedestrians, pushcarts, boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis), tuk-tuks, and matatu mini buses, any of which may swerve or stop at a moment’s notice without signaling. All drivers must practice defensive driving. Local drivers routinely ignore traffic laws and the limited number of functioning traffic lights. Many vehicles do not meet minimal safety standards and are in poor mechanical condition with worn tires, broken and/or missing taillights, brake lights, and headlights. Transportation accidents are commonplace largely due to poor road and vehicle conditions. Accidents, while frequent, are usually not fatal unless pedestrians or matatus are involved. The roads in most major cities show signs of wear, including potholes and other obstructions. Due to challenging road conditions, U.S. government employees may not drive outside of major populated areas at night. Road conditions are poor in most outlying or rural areas, especially after the rainy seasons when roads deteriorate rapidly, causing extensive potholes and other road hazards. Strongly consider using four- wheel-drive vehicles, especially for travel outside major cities. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi now permits personnel to use Uber services, provided the app correctly identifies the vehicle and driver before the passenger enters the vehicle. There have been instances where criminals will see someone waiting by the side of the road and falsely identify themselves as their Uber driver, when in reality they are intending to kidnap and rob the unsuspecting victim. In addition to Uber and known private drivers, Express Impress (0729 872 647 or 0712 794 418) and Jim Cab (0722 711 001) are reputable and safe for use. Lock vehicle doors and windows at all times while traveling. The best way to avoid being a victim of a carjacking is to be aware of your surroundings, particularly at night or early morning hours, though carjacking can also occur during daylight hours. If you see something or someone suspicious, prepare to act quickly. Allow sufficient distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you while stopped in traffic. Always maintain at least a half tank of gas and ensure that others not traveling with you are aware of your travel itinerary. If you believe someone is following you, do not drive directly to your intended destination; rather, detour to a police station, a well-illuminated public venue, or other guarded area and seek help. CAMBODIA: Pursuit of Opposition Highlights Political Tensions Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. Terrorism Threat The U.S. Department of State has assessed Nairobi as being a HIGH-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Terrorism remains a high-priority concern. The U.S. government continues to receive information regarding potential terrorist threats aimed at U.S., Western, and Kenyan interests in the Nairobi area, counties bordering Somalia, and in the coastal areas including Mombasa and Malindi. Past terrorist acts have included armed assaults, suicide operations, bomb/grenade and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, kidnappings, attacks on civil aviation, and attacks on maritime vessels in/near ports. The porous border with Somalia remains a concern. Kenya is a participant in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and initiated military action against al-Shabaab by crossing into Somalia in 2011 and 2012. Kenyan troops within AMISOM continue to pursue al-Shabaab in southeastern Somalia. In response to the Kenyan intervention, al-Shabaab and its sympathizers have conducted retaliatory attacks against civilian and government targets in Kenya, including targeting Westerners. Al-Shabaab frequently uses ambushes and IEDs to target Kenyan security forces in Wajir, Garissa, Lamu, and Mandera counties. In January 2019, five al-Shabaab terrorists with rifles, hand grenades, and a suicide vest attacked the DusitD2 Hotel in central Nairobi, specifically targeting Westerners. The attack resulted in 21 deaths, including one U.S. and one British citizen. A week after, a small IED exploded in Nairobi’s central business district, slightly injuring two civilians. On July 21, 2019, four al-Shabaab terrorists armed with AK-47 rifles attacked a hospital construction site on the Elwak-Kutulo road in Mandera. On December 6, 2019, al-Shabaab assailants attacked a Mandera-bound public transport bus between Kotulo and Wargadud in Tarbaj, Wajir county, shooting and killing eight police officers, two teachers and a doctor. On January 2, 2020, four people died when al-Shabaab militants opened fire at a convoy of 3 passenger buses that were being escorted by police, traveling from Mombasa to Lamu in the Nyongoro area of Lamu County. On January 5, 2020, al-Shabaab terrorists attacked a Kenya Defense Force military base in Manda Bay, resulting in the death of one U.S. service member and two Department of Defense contractors. The current State Department Travel Advisory urges U.S. citizens to avoid travel to the border areas with Somalia because of threats by the terrorist group al-Shabaab. Additionally, U.S. government employees, contractors, and their dependents may not travel to the northeastern counties of Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, and parts of the coast north of Malindi to the Kenya-Somalia border. Although these restrictions do not apply to travelers not associated with the U.S. government, consider these restrictions when planning travel. CAMBODIA: Pursuit of Opposition Highlights Political Tensions Political, Economic, Religious, and Ethnic Violence The U.S. Department of State has assessed Nairobi as being a HIGH-threat location for political