Kenya used to be a colony of the British Empire. Nowadays, it is among the fastest developing countries in Africa. The English language is one of the official languages of the country. This played a vital role in its souring development, as it eases up communication for businesses and tourists alike.
Many people who are traveling to Kenya may be concerned about their safety. I did a quick search online and saw quite a few posts that are related to safety "tips". While they certainly have their points, I would like to go a little bit deeper into what is actually happening.
The general image of Kenya is mostly represented by things happening around Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. As a political and economic hub, Nairobi certainly gets quite a bit of attention. Some of the more notable incidences include the 1998 attack on the US embassy, the post-election violence in 2007, and the Westgate attack in 2013. Apart from these, Nairobi is also infamous for crimes, such as carjacking, robbery and theft, hence the nickname "Nairobbery". There's even a movie called "Nairobi Half Life", which is about how a Nairobi youth dramatically survived the crimes. And it received some favorable reviews among my Kenyan friends. Then the question is, does it really get this bad?
My answer is "it depends". First, there is generally nothing that we as civilians can do to terrorist attacks. Think about the more recent ones that happened in Europe. They tend to target places where there are many people. Statistically, the more people there are, the higher the risks. So do we simply don't go to shopping malls or airports where there are many people? How about the people who work and live there? They are in much higher risks than you and me who are just visiting! The chances that we would ever be involved with any attack are extremely low.
Second, we need to understand the numbers about crimes better. "Nairobi" is often referred to as the general metropolitan area, which includes many distinct districts. It is easy to say that crimes happened in "Nairobi" than in a specific district for an outsider. The truth is, a lot of the crimes are location specific. For example, districts where most of the visitors stay are much safer compared to the outskirts of Nairobi. If you are getting out of the city for a tour in the coast or going for safari, it is generally very safe.
Lastly, we need to adjust our expectations: understand the risks and learn how to manage them. The first thing we can do is to avoid going to areas that are not safe. You can get the information from your taxi driver or people at the hotel. If you do plan to visit areas where crime rates are high, it would be a good idea not to walk around with a camera on your neck or wear flashy jewelries. If you want to enjoy the night life of Nairobi, you can always take a taxi. In fact, these tips are not so different from what you get for other cities in the world.
And there is always the bright side: most Kenyans are extremely friendly and helpful! Strike a conversation with the taxi driver or your safari guide. Get to know a bit of their lives, what they think about Nairobi and happenings around. Have a conversation with someone at the bar and make a new friend! Uber also works really well in Nairobi and is very affordable, which make it easy to get around safely.
With all that, on behalf of my Kenyan friends, I would encourage you to visit Kenya and see it for yourselves. There's more than just the beautiful coast of the Indian Ocean, the rift valley lakes and the savannas! I will get into more about the people of Kenya, their culture and history in the next blogs. Stay tuned!
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| Waiyaki Way near Kangemi, Nairobi |
The general image of Kenya is mostly represented by things happening around Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. As a political and economic hub, Nairobi certainly gets quite a bit of attention. Some of the more notable incidences include the 1998 attack on the US embassy, the post-election violence in 2007, and the Westgate attack in 2013. Apart from these, Nairobi is also infamous for crimes, such as carjacking, robbery and theft, hence the nickname "Nairobbery". There's even a movie called "Nairobi Half Life", which is about how a Nairobi youth dramatically survived the crimes. And it received some favorable reviews among my Kenyan friends. Then the question is, does it really get this bad?
 |
| A Nairobi youth on Waiyaki way near Kangemi, Nairobi |
My answer is "it depends". First, there is generally nothing that we as civilians can do to terrorist attacks. Think about the more recent ones that happened in Europe. They tend to target places where there are many people. Statistically, the more people there are, the higher the risks. So do we simply don't go to shopping malls or airports where there are many people? How about the people who work and live there? They are in much higher risks than you and me who are just visiting! The chances that we would ever be involved with any attack are extremely low.
Second, we need to understand the numbers about crimes better. "Nairobi" is often referred to as the general metropolitan area, which includes many distinct districts. It is easy to say that crimes happened in "Nairobi" than in a specific district for an outsider. The truth is, a lot of the crimes are location specific. For example, districts where most of the visitors stay are much safer compared to the outskirts of Nairobi. If you are getting out of the city for a tour in the coast or going for safari, it is generally very safe.
Lastly, we need to adjust our expectations: understand the risks and learn how to manage them. The first thing we can do is to avoid going to areas that are not safe. You can get the information from your taxi driver or people at the hotel. If you do plan to visit areas where crime rates are high, it would be a good idea not to walk around with a camera on your neck or wear flashy jewelries. If you want to enjoy the night life of Nairobi, you can always take a taxi. In fact, these tips are not so different from what you get for other cities in the world.
And there is always the bright side: most Kenyans are extremely friendly and helpful! Strike a conversation with the taxi driver or your safari guide. Get to know a bit of their lives, what they think about Nairobi and happenings around. Have a conversation with someone at the bar and make a new friend! Uber also works really well in Nairobi and is very affordable, which make it easy to get around safely.
 |
| Flamingos near Lake Oloiden public beach, Naivasha |
With all that, on behalf of my Kenyan friends, I would encourage you to visit Kenya and see it for yourselves. There's more than just the beautiful coast of the Indian Ocean, the rift valley lakes and the savannas! I will get into more about the people of Kenya, their culture and history in the next blogs. Stay tuned!
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