The United States of America has asked its citizens in Kenya to be vigilant while visiting locations frequented by tourists and foreigners.
In a security alert issued on February 9, 2023, the US embassy in Kenya further advised its citizens to review their security plans.
According to the security alert, there is a potentially imminent terror attack targeting high-traffic areas frequented by foreigners and tourists in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya.
“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 attack,” read part of the security alert.
“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,” it added.
The US embassy however noted that the government of Kenya had increased counterterrorism patrols.
Past terror attacks in Kenya
Aside from being vigilant and reviewing their personal security, the US has also advised its citizens currently in Kenya to be aware of their surroundings.
Kenya has over the last few years been a target of terror attacks due to its links with the United States and the United Kingdom.
Among the notable terror attacks that have been witnessed in the country including the one In 1998 when the US embassy was bombed in Nairobi, as was the Israeli-owned Paradise hotel in 2002 in Mombasa.
In 2013, the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab killed 67 people at Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall.
There have also been many other attacks, including in April 2015, when gunmen stormed the Garissa University College, killing almost 150 people and wounding several others.
The attackers claimed to be from the Al-Shabaab militant group and indicated that they were retaliating over non-Muslims occupying Muslim territory.
