The United States has warned its citizens in Kenya of a possible terror attack in Nairobi County.
Through its Embassy in Nairobi, the US said that terrorist groups could stage an attack with little or no warning, targeting areas with many people.
It has flagged high-traffic areas frequented by foreigners and tourists in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya as targets for terror groups.
Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, schools, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners and tourists,” part of the statement reads.
And Britain, in its periodic updates on travel advice cautioned its nationals to be extremely vigilant in the areas mentioned in the US advisory.
On 9 February the US Embassy issued an alert saying that “Locations frequented by U.S. citizens and other foreigners and tourists in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya continue to be attractive targets to terrorists planning to conduct potentially imminent attacks. Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, schools, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners and tourists. The government of Kenya has increased counter-terrorism patrols,” said the UK statement.
However, both UK and US acknowledged security measures that the Kenyan government has put in place, including counter-terrorism patrols.
They urged their citizens to exercise vigilance at locations frequented by tourists/foreigners, to review their personal security plans, to be aware of their surroundings, and to monitor local media for updates.
At the moment, the government of Kenya has remained on high alert with multi-agent security teams in Nairobi county following recent cases of muggings to the residents.
This comes barely a month after the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania issued security alert to its citizens over what it termed as possible attack.
In a notice dated January 25, the US Embassy in Tanzania claimed that the terror groups were planning to carry out an attack in high traffic areas frequented by Westerners in Dar es Salaam and elsewhere in Tanzania.
“Locations frequented by US citizens and other Westerners in Dar es Salaam and elsewhere in Tanzania continue to be attractive targets to terrorists planning to conduct attacks. Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by Westerners.”
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