-The U.S. advised its citizens to avoid visiting border areas of Kenya because of threats by the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab.
U.S. citizens should avoid travel to the northeastern Kenyan counties of Mandera, Wajir and Garissa, the coastal counties of Tana River and Lamu, Kilifi county north of Malindi and Eastleigh in the capital, Nairobi, the State Department said on its website Thursday. In the port city of Mombasa, it recommended visitors avoid using the Likoni ferry because of safety concerns and said travelers should visit the Old Town during daylight hours.
“Potential terrorist threats, such as bombings, kidnappings, and attacks on civil aviation, remain in Kenya, including within the Nairobi area, along the coast, and within the northeastern region of the country,” it said.
Attacks in Kenya over the past five years have scared away visitors, resulting in the loss of more than 30,000 jobs in the tourism industry, according to Tourism Secretary Najib Balala. Tourism generated about $1 billion a year in foreign-currency earnings for Kenya before the attacks escalated in 2011.
