The United States has issued a terror alert to its American citizens in Kenya to exercise vigilance in high traffic locations frequented by foreigners. In the security advisory circulated on Thursday, the Embassy asked its citizens in Nairobi and other locations within Kenya to review their personal security plans. The note warns that hotels, embassies, restaurants and malls frequented by foreigners and tourists could be attacked with little or no warning. It comes just hours after Kenyan authorities released the names of five men wanted for their links to the al-Shabab Islamist group.
The Embassy stated that Nairobi continues to be a prime target for terrorists who may be planning imminent attacks in the country.
"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," the alert read in part.
The Embassy cautioned citizens and foreigners to be mindful of their surroundings and keep an eye on local media for updates.
The US Embassy in Kenya noted that the government of Kenya has heightened its counterterrorism patrols in response to the increased threat of terrorism.
At the moment, the government of Kenya has remained on high alert with multi-agent security teams in Nairobi following recent cases of muggings of residents.
This comes barely a month after the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania sent out a security alert to its citizens over what it termed as possible attack.
In a notice dated January 25, the US Embassy in Tanzania alleged that the terror groups were planning to perpetrate an attack in high traffic areas frequented by westerners in Dar es Salaam and elsewhere in the East African country.
