U.S.
State Department lightens Kenya Travel
Warning
Travel
Warning verbiage lightened to warning
Americans from "non-essential travel
"to "remaining
vigilant."
NAIROBI,
KENYA: Due increased security measures
put in place by the Kenya government
and no incident of terrorism or
internal strife since the warning has
been put in place last May 2003, the US
State Department has lightened the
warning against non-essential travel to
Kenya. On May 21, 2004, the State
Department re-released the Travel
Warning for Kenya lightening the
verbiage from cautioning "American
citizens against non-essential travel"
to the country to a lightened caution
for "American citizens in Kenya to
evaluate their personal security
situation in light of the current
terrorist threat.".
The
Kenyan government continues to work
directly with the U.S. government to
ensure the safety of visitors and
Kenyan citizens is top priority. Since
the U.S. Travel Warning has been put in
place, there has been no terrorist
incident in the region and tight
security measures have been put in
place, which are currently active.
"Since
the Travel Warning, Americans have been
traveling throughout Kenya freely and
without incident." stated Dr.
Ongongía Achieng, Managing
Director of the Kenya Tourist Board.
"We look at this lightening of the
Warning as a good sign that we are
working in the right direction with the
U.S. State Department. We know that our
infrastructure has been completely
revamped and we are confident we have
made the changes necessary to ensure
traveler and citizen safety."
http://www.MagicaKenya.com
.
Dr.
Achieng added his disappointment to the
travel Warning not being lifted to a
Public Announcement. "We have had no
incident since the Warning has been put
in place and our security is at this
highest level of vigilance it has ever
been at. Therefore, the rewording of
the Warning still dilutes the many
efforts we have proven we have made to
ensure traveler security and safety. We
had hoped for the Warning to be changed
to a Public Announcement. So this is
still a great
disappointment."
Tourism
remains Kenya's second largest
industry, making the issue of the
Travel Warning and traveler safety top
priority for the government and
citizens. "In the past year-and-a-half,
we have made incredible strides in
securing borders, tightening airport
security, replacing radar and security
equipment in our airports, creating a
tourism police task force and widening
the reach of our Tourism Safety Center,
which allows any visitor traveling with
organized tours or staying at any of
Kenya's hotels to be in direct reach of
emergency personnel countrywide. We are
proud of these strides and will
continue to keep doing everything we
can to ensure even greater security
measures for visitors and citizens
alike." said Raymond Matiba, Chairman
of the Kenya Tourist Board.
"Although
we would like to see the warning
removed, we do feel this is a good step
forward in regaining tourists from the
United States market." stated Matiba.
For more information on travel to
Kenya, please contact the Kenya Tourist
Board in the United States at:
866-44-KENYA or at
infousa@magicalkenya.com.
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