Kenya Country Report

Kenya has long been one of the most developed and stable countries in the East Africa region, with a developing economy heavily focused on technology, agriculture, and tourism. However, the country remains one of the least developed in the world, with a large proportion of the population living in poverty.

The most significant threat to travelers in Kenya continues to come from criminal activity. Home invasions, burglaries, petty theft, armed carjackings, and kidnappings occur frequently across much of the country. Pick-pocketing and bag-snatching are particularly common in crowded areas of the main urban centers, including up-market areas of Nairobi. Kenya also faces a credible threat from the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist group and home-grown Islamist militants.

While Al-Shabaab will likely focus on vulnerable rural areas along the country’s porous northeastern region bordering Somalia and in Kenya’s coastal area, the group may stage larger attacks, notably in Nairobi and major cities. Potential targets include government infrastructure and security personnel, as well as hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars, sporting events, supermarkets, shopping centers, and transport hubs. However, the majority of attacks continue to occur in areas close to the border with Somalia.

In rural parts of the country, tensions between communities over ethnicity and access to resources lead to sporadic clashes, with violence exacerbated by the widespread availability of firearms. Overland travel can be hazardous, especially for foreign travelers unfamiliar with the local driving environment. Although road conditions are better in Nairobi compared to rural areas, traffic accidents are frequent due to poor driving standards.

The most significant threat to travelers in Kenya comes from criminal activity. Crime rates are high in urban centers, with foreign nationals frequently being targeted by criminals in armed robberies, residential burglaries and carjackings as well as incidents of petty theft. Perpetrators are often armed and quick to resort to violence if met with resistance.

The Somalia-based al-Shabaab group and its sympathizers in Kenya continue to pose a credible terrorist threat. Most al-Shabaab-related incidents occur in remote areas of counties bordering Somalia but high-profile attacks have also been staged in Kenya's main urban centers.

Protests are held periodically over a range of local political and environmental issues and can quickly become violent or draw an aggressive response from security forces. Ethnic and tribal violence, exacerbated by armed banditry, is common in rural areas of the Rift Valley.

Overland travel is hazardous in many areas of Kenya with road traffic collisions being relatively common. Poor roads, reckless driving, excessive speed, inadequately-maintained vehicles and alcohol consumption are significant factors in many collisions. The risk from overland travel extends to public transport, with many drivers being poorly trained and vehicles lacking adequate safety features. However, there are few significant concerns over commercial air travel in the country.

Electricity infrastructure is inadequate in many areas and the aging energy network and insufficient generation capacity cause frequent blackouts, although connection rates are relatively high by regional standards. Internet penetration rates are also high and mobile data networks are reliable in most urban centers.

Western Kenya occasionally experiences low-to-moderate intensity earthquakes. However, earthquakes above magnitude five are rare. Flooding is also common during the long rainy season between April and June, and a shorter one from October to November. Much of the country is also prone to droughts, which can lead to food insecurity across the country.

The terrorist threat in northern Kenya has led to increasing landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination, particularly in areas along the border with Somalia. Due to their active use, contamination levels cannot be accurately assessed and all potential landmine sites should be considered unmarked.

Malaria is present in many areas of the country below 2,200m in elevation, while dengue, cutaneous and diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, African trypanosomiasis, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Kenyan Tick Typhus, and Onyong-Nyong fever are also present. Adequate medical facilities can be found in Nairobi and Mombasa but the quality and availability of healthcare is substantially lower in rural areas and smaller towns. Pharmaceutical shortages and counterfeit or substandard drugs are also an issue, particularly outside of the two main cities.

Due to political tension between the ruling Kenya Kwanza Coalition (KKC) party and the Opposition Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party over the 2022 August general elections fraud claims, socioeconomic, political, religious, or security concerns, strikes and demonstrations are common and usually violent. Previous demonstrations had led to nationwide civil unrest and regular clashes with security forces. Moreover, protesters committed arson, including burning public service and public transport vehicles and robbing gas cylinders from a fuel station; acts of looting were also reported nationwide.

Corruption remains a significant concern in Kenya and is generally perceived as penetrating every level of society. A weak judicial system and frequent demands for bribes by public officials have led to increased business costs for foreign investors.