U.S. Embassy Kenya

The US government has defended its decision to issue a security alert to its citizens in Kenya against visiting Kisumu during elections.

Enjoy our beautiful sunset City," Nyong'o said in a tweet on Wednesday. The advisory issued on Tuesday raised concerns that the US could have had intelligence of an impending security threat in the lakeside city. • The advisory issued on Tuesday raised concerns that the US could have had intelligence on an impending security threat in the lakeside city.

The US Embassy in Kenya has said its earlier travel advisory to Kisumu wasn't meant to profile the area as violent.

“Kisumu hosts a significant number of US Embassy personnel and is a frequent travel destination for American citizens. The embassy had, on Tuesday, August 2 issued a travel advisory to its citizens, warning of a high probability of election-related protests. The United States Embassy in Kenya has said its earlier travel advisory to Kisumu wasn’t meant to profile the area as violent as Kenya heads to the polls next week.

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi released a routine Security Alert on August 2 in advance of next week's Kenyan elections. Alerts of this nature to American citizens ...

The U.S. Department of State has no greater responsibility than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas and routinely issues Security Alerts surrounding elections, health conditions, and extreme weather, ensuring U.S. citizens have information that helps inform travel plans. Alerts of this nature to American citizens are common ahead of elections throughout the world, and the United States has no information to suggest the security situation in Kisumu, or in any other parts of Kenya, have been adversely affected by election preparations. Kisumu hosts a significant number of U.S. Embassy personnel and is a frequent travel destination for American citizens.

A woman walks past a banner of Kenya's presidential candidate Raila Odinga in Kisumu, Kenya, July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner.

Meanwhile, the government has deployed heavy security personnel in Uasin Gishu, Ruto’s home county, after claims that youths are undergoing militia training. There’s worry that the embassy is creating unnecessary fear and tension in Kisumu which could lead to business inactivity till elections are over. Kenya has a history of voting along ethnic lines, and Ruto’s supporters say the advisory means Odinga will lose. The road towards Odinga’s rural home in Bondo, Siaya County is being re-carpeted and his farm is getting a face-lift. The advisory has raised eyebrows across social media platforms in Kenya, with many citizens wondering why vigilance should only be observed in a particular city. The US embassy in Nairobi has issued a travel advisory cautioning citizens against traveling to the western lake-side city of Kisumu, the hometown of presidential aspirant Raila Odinga.