Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Nairobi, Kenya - The United Kingdom issued a new travel advisory against Kenya on Monday, warning its citizens against travel to trouble spots, including inching closer to within 60 km of the border with Somalia. The travel ban also targets areas in the country's coast, where kidnapping of a British couple and a French hostage led the authorities in Kenya to deploy the military in the hunt for Al Shabaab attacks.
The latest travel advisory was issued as violence flared in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, following Sunday's attack which led to the killing of five people instantly in Nairobi's Somali-dominated neighbourhood. Two others died while being rushed to hospital.
London cited the upcoming presidential elections for the travel advisory and asked British nationals to take extra caution against possible personal attacks.
It warns against non-essential visit to slums in the capital Nairobi, Lamu and the towns of Garissa, north east of Nairobi.
On Monday, police fired teargas and live ammunition into a crowd of youth who threw stones at the General Service Unit, a paramilitary wing of the police force, leading to the injury of six people.
Three others died in hospital on Monday, while 21 others were discharged after treatment. Doctors have continued to appeal for blood donors.
The Kenya Red Cross Society said it took six injured people to hospital after the overnight clashes. The clashes erupted afresh on Monday, after the local youth attacked a mosque in Eastleigh.
Police returned stone throwing youth with fire from pistols and a police truck patrolled the streets of Eastleigh at high speed.