Travelling to Nairobi - be aware of the security situation
Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta, confirmed yesterday that a security force operation to clear remaining militants from Nairobi's Westgate Shopping Mall had concluded.
According to Kenyatta's statement, five al-Shabaab militants were killed during the four-day siege, while another 11 have been arrested.
Although exact numbers remain unconfirmed, at least 67 people are believed to have been killed and 240 others injured during the incident, which began on 21 September. Earlier on 24 September, sporadic gunfire was heard in the mall, and it was reported that several floors of the shopping mall collapsed, possibly as a result of an explosion.
Several people, including civilians, militants and security force personnel, are believed to have been trapped during the collapse; the death toll is likely to rise as rescue and recovery operations continue.
Three days of national mourning have been declared and it is expected that this may impact on the provision of some services in Nairobi and elsewhere.
A considerable presence of emergency services vehicles and personnel remains in the vicinity of the mall and the surrounding Westlands area, and ongoing disruptions to travel in this area should be anticipated.
Anyone travellling to Kenya in the coming weeks should remember that al-Shabaab has the operational capability to carry out secondary attacks in other areas of Kenya and the possibility of an attack within Nairobi or elsewhere cannot be discounted in the near-term.
At the moment travellers to Nairobi are advised to avoid the city's Westlands area. Those in other areas of Kenya should monitor the local security situation closely and anticipate increased security measures countrywide, particularly in Nairobi and Mombasa.
All suspicious people and/or packages should be reported to the local authorities immediately.
Contact us at [email protected] for more travel advice to Kenya.
Source: red24