The Australian diplomatic office in Kenya on Friday warned of a possible terrorist attack here in the capital, reiterating its recommendation that protests and political rallies be avoided. The warning came two days after the United States issued a similar advisory for neighboring Uganda.
“Current information suggests that terrorists may be planning attacks against crowded locations in Nairobi in the near future,” said a statement from the Australian High Commission.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, United States officials warned of a possible terrorist attack in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
“The U.S. Embassy has received information of possible terrorist threats to locations where Westerners, including U.S. citizens, congregate in Kampala, and that an attack may take place soon,” the statement read. Uganda is a close ally of the United States in East Africa.
While the Australian and American statements did not specify the threat, attacks in the region in recent years by the Shabab, a Somali Islamist extremist group, have killed dozens of people.
In 2013, an attack by the Shabab on the Westgate mall in Nairobi led to the deaths of 67 people. In 2010, 74 people were killed in an attack in Kampala as they watched the World Cup soccer final on outdoor screens.
The Shabab, Al Qaeda’s Somalia affiliate, say they target the East African nations because Kenyan and Ugandan troops take part in African Union operations in Somalia aimed at combating the group.
Kenyan officials have expressed displeasure with Western security warnings, which have hurt the vital tourism industry.
