Kenyans have this habit of complaining whenever Western countries issue travel advisories.
The advisories were particularly frequent at the height of Al Shabaab attacks inside the country. Countries like the UK, France and the US which have traditionally provided most tourists, were seen by many Kenyans as always looking for small issues so that they can warn their citizens against visiting.
It is now emerging that issuance of advisories is just procedure to inform their citizens of risks, and Kenya may not have been unfairly targeted. Actually, when you visit UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, there is some advisory on every country.
At least 3 countries in Europe have cautioned its citizens travelling to the United States of America.
Governments of UK, France and Germany plus Australia and even neighbouring Canada have issued several advisories regarding the US.
Some of these are xenophobia – without referencing presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call for a temporary ban on Muslim visitors, homophobia, gun violence and Zika virus.
The French and German governments have warned their citizens about gun violence in the US, where recent mass shootings include a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, left 49 people dead.
The German Foreign Affairs wrote on their website that it is ‘relatively easy’ to obtain guns in the US, advising citizens to be careful.
Britain’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office wrote: ‘The US is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people differ hugely across the country.
‘Transgender travelers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the state of North Carolina.’
The British have also advised in regards to Florida, a destination popular for Disney World and other theme parks – as having a ‘moderate risk’ for Zika virus transmission.
As of today (August 16), this is the current UK travel advisory against Kenya as copied from their website.
