Kenya
Warnings and insurance

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Areas where FCDO advises against travel
Kenya-Somalia border and northern parts of the east coast
Due to the risk of terrorism from groups based in Somalia, FCDO advises against all travel to:
- Mandera County
- Tarbaj and Wajir East constituencies in Wajir County, except for Wajir Town
- areas of Wajir County within 60km of Kenya’s border with Somalia
- Garissa County - except for Garissa Town, the constituency of Lagdera and the areas of Balambala constituency which lie north and west of the main road which runs from Saka on the Tana River up to the intersection with the C81 Road
- Lamu County, except for Lamu Island and Manda Island
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to:
- Garissa Town
- Tana River County north of the Tana River as far as the town of Saka
- within 15km of the east coast between the Tana River and the Galana (Athi-Galana-Sabaki) River
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.
Risk of Kidnap
There is a high risk of kidnapping across Kenya. British nationals are seen as legitimate targets. Westerners have been the target of kidnaps and further kidnaps are very likely.
Before you travel
No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
- see general advice for women travellers
- read our guide on disability and travel abroad
- see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
- read about safety for solo and independent travel
- see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad
Travel insurance
If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
About FCDO travel advice
FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
Get travel advice updates
Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
Follow FCDO: