OSAC Country Security Report Kenya Last Updated: August 4, 2021 Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication indicates that travelers should exercise increased caution in Kenya due to COVID-19, crime, terrorism, health issues, and kidnapping. Some areas of Kenya have increased risk. The Travel Advisory indicates that travelers should not travel to the Kenya-Somalia border and some coastal areas due to terrorism, and areas of Turkana County due to crime. The Travel Advisory also recommends individuals reconsider travel to Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera at all times due to crime and kidnapping. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. The Institute for Economics & Peace Global Peace Index 2021 ranks Kenya 116 out of 163 worldwide, rating the country as being at a Medium state of peace. Crime Environment 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 U.S. Department of State has included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Kenya, indicating that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organized crime present in the country, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes. The crime emergency lines in Kenya are 999, 112, or 911. Review the State Department’s Crime Victims Assistance brochure. Crime: General Threat 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. Counterfeiting and trademark infringement is widespread, and represents a major concern for local and international business. One study put the value of Kenya’s counterfeit trade at Ksh 70 billion (about U.S. $805 million). The counterfeit trade may involve organized criminal elements in Kenya and Somalia. The Government of Kenya criminalized trade in counterfeits and established the Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA), based in Mombasa. The ACA did not receive funding to do its job effectively in its early years; its 1 budget has improved more recently. The U.S. Embassy actively engages with ACA, and has supported extensive outreach efforts to law enforcement, local government officials, community leaders, and youth around the country. The American Chamber of Commerce, Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Kenya Association of Manufacturers also engage on this issue. Crime: Areas of Concern Crime in Kenya is most prevalent in urban centers such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Meru and other larger cities. The U.S. Embassy prohibits its personnel from entering the Nairobi neighborhood of Eastleigh, and advises personnel not to enter the Nairobi neighborhood of Kibera due to kidnapping and crime. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, Hotels: The Inns and Outs, Considerations for Hotel Security, and Taking Credit. Kidnapping Threat The U.S. Department of State has included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Kenya, indicating that criminal or terrorist individuals or groups have threatened to and/or have seized or detained and threatened to kill, injure, or continue to detain individuals in order to compel a third party (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of release. Review OSAC’s reports, Kidnapping: The Basics and Active Shooter and Kidnapping Response Tips. Kidnapping and extortion of Westerners has occurred in Nairobi, usually taking the form of carjackers or kidnappers removing individuals from their car or off the street by force and holding a victim for several hours while exploiting ATM and credit cards. Most incidents do not result in the victim’s death, but significant injuries are commonplace. In November 2018, armed gunmen kidnapped a 23-year-old Italian woman approximately 50 kilometers west of the coastal city of Malindi; she returned home in May 2020 after 18 months of captivity. In April 2019, kidnappers abducted two Cuban doctors from near a hospital in Mandera; al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabaab released them in October 2020, after reportedly holding them in neighboring Somalia. Drug Crime Kenya is a transit country for illegal narcotics. Drug trafficking in Kenya often involves other transnational organized criminality, to include money laundering and weapons trafficking. Over the last several years, the Drug Enforcement Agency Formal Vetted Unit has successfully initiated a U.S.-led and Kenya- supported investigations program; one of the most notable successes was a 2015 seizure of 1,032 kilograms of heroin off the Kenyan coast. In 2018, the Kenyan narcotics units seized approximately 136,000 grams of heroin in with an estimated street value of $408 million. Consult with the CIA World Factbook’s section on Illicit Drugs for country-specific information. Terrorism Environment 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. The U.S. Department of State has included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Kenya, indicating that terrorist attacks have occurred and/or specific threats against civilians, groups, or other targets may exist. Review the latest State Department Country Report on Terrorism for Kenya. 2 The Institute for Economics & Peace Global Terrorism Index 2020 ranks Kenya 23 out of 163 worldwide, rating the country as having a Medium impact from terrorism. Terrorism: General Threat 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 communication towers, attacks on public transportation, attacks on civil aviation, and attacks on maritime vessels in/near ports. Terrorist use these tactics and procedures independently or in combination with each other. 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. • On January 2, 2020, four people died when al-Shabaab militants opened fire at a convoy of 3 passenger buses traveling with police escort 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 Defense Department contractors. • On December 30, 2020, suspected al-Shabaab militants opened fire on an ambulance after it struck an IED in Mandera county, killing one civilian and injuring two others. • On January 12, 2021, suspected al-Shabaab militants destroyed a telecommunications mast in Mandera County. The current State Department Travel Advisory urges U.S. citizens to avoid travel to the border areas with Somalia due to 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 only apply to travelers associated with the U.S. government, all travelers should consider these restrictions when making plans. Political Violence and Civil Unrest Environment The U.S. Department of State has assessed Nairobi as being a HIGH-threat location for