Kenya Situational Update as at 16.00 GMT Monday 28th January 2008

Following the removal of the FCO ban on all but essential travel to Kenya on Saturday 19th January, the overall level of the travel advice remains the same and continues to recommend that visitors do not go to certain areas of the country. We suggest that you continue to constantly review both the recommendations of the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of Ireland and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel Advisories in the United Kingdom.
www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie
www.fco.gov.uk

Please find below the Kenya Tourism Federation’s security update and advice on travel to specific geographical areas within Kenya:

Following the events reported by the media that the Rift Valley Province experienced some clashes in the communities within Nakuru and the adjacent area surrounding Naivasha. Police and the paramilitary security are in Naivasha to bring the situation under control. Tourist vehicles which were due to drive from Lake Nakuru to hotels at Lake Naivasha were advised to stay at Lake Nakuru National Park. The Lake Nakuru national Park remains secure and safe for visitors with KWS rangers on duty.

It is recommended that tourist vehicles use the main highway to Lake Nakuru and avoid any travel through Naivasha town. The town of Nakuru is also to be avoided with all safaris accessing and exiting via the Lanet Gate.

The situation throughout the rest of the country remains calm as per the description below.

The Kenya Tourism Federation continues to recommend that for the time being visitors should avoid the following areas:
Nyanza Province, Western Province, and the western area of Rift Valley Province including roads to the north of Narok to Bomet, Sotik and Njoro, the areas surrounding Kericho, Molo, Londiani, Nandi Hills and Eldoret. These places are not normally visited by most tourists and members of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators have avoided these areas since the onset of the post-election problems.

For visitors to Nairobi it is recommended that the high density housing estates and slums should be avoided, including Eastleigh, Mathare, Huruma and Kibera but tourists have always been advised to keep away from these areas.

For visitors to the Coast it is recommended to avoid going into Mombasa “old town” at the present time as some sporadic demonstrations have occurred previously in this area. There are no problems at any of the beach resorts and the roads between Malindi, Watamu, Kilifi, Nyali, Bamburi, Mombasa, Diani, Galu, Msambweni are all open and reported to have no problems. Mombasa is an island and not a beach resort and the “old town” area can be avoided by tourist vehicles transferring from the airport to the beach resorts on the north and south mainland. The Likoni ferry continues to operate as usual carrying traffic to the south coast.

For tourist vehicles travelling to the Mara, the road passing Narok town is a stretch of approximately 4 kms and is now being monitored by a permanent security patrol to ensure that there are no problems for tourist vehicles. For the past week tourist vehicles have been driving along this route from Nairobi to the Mara daily without a problem and it is reported that the road is open and that traffic is moving freely. The route to the Mara is south from Narok and drivers do not need to drive north to Bomet which is within the area recommended as off-limits to tourists.
Jake Grieves-Cook, Spokesman, Kenya Tourism Federation