Is it fairly safe to travel around Nairobi, Kenya?

I agree with 's outstanding answer.  I have several friends in Nairobi who say that the heightened security has no effect on their day to day lives.  People are not worried about bombings.  In contrast, it is smart to be worried about pick-pockets and muggers, which is statistically far more likely to happen (not to mention the dangers of road accidents which are much harder to protect against). If the State Dept warnings will be nagging you in the back of your mind the entire time that you are there, then you probably won't enjoy your time in Nairobi.  In fact, plenty of people don't enjoy Nairobi for reasons that are completely unrelated to safety (e.g. massive traffic jams, air quality, getting harassed on the street, much higher prices than most other towns in the area). Personally, I enjoy getting to Nairobi every so often to see friends and really take in city life (sometimes life in a medium-sized town just doesn't cut it).  I travel on matatus (minibuses) and don't take taxis nearly as often as I should (and I've paid the price for that once), but I keep my wits about me at all time so that I don't feel unsafe while I am there. I would also like to add a note that my comments are based on the present situation, and I do not know what things will look like in December.  There are some parts of Nairobi that are a powder keg and could be set off by a variety of events.  I would recommend following some of the major political events in Kenya such as the ICC proceedings, the presidential campaigns and even the exchange rate (rapid changes in the exchange rate tend to hit the poor and can drive up crime) just to get a reading if the situation is becoming increasingly tense.

Nairobi is like every other large city; it has safer areas (middle class to rich), and less safe areas (Poor). If you're totally new here, I'd strongly advise you to heed the recommendations given you by your travel guide/host. It is foolish to go to poor areas wearing brand name outfits (the thugs know their brands), then remove expensive iPhones/DSLR's to take photos and not expect to be relieve of your expensive baggage. I believe it's like this in every major city. Moral? Find where it is safe to go, and where to avoid. That said, you're more concerned about the 'terror' aspect, right? I won't lie to you, Nairobi is not 100% safe. For that matter, no large city in the world is! Take the recent Boston marathon bombing for an example; this in a country with the supposed best intelligence. The only way to avoid acts of terror is to hole yourself in your house for eternity, or walk with God. The odds of getting caught in one of them here in Nairobi, However, are much much less than what the media and your State department have led you to believe. Why do I say this? Well, the last major incident was the mall attacks (which I'm sure you heard about), before that were the US embassy bombings in 1998! A 15year gap!! In 15 years, a lot of terror incidents happen in many supposedly safe countries, including US itself! What am I saying? You're probably more likely to die of natural causes than a terror attack here. In case you worry about other issues that could cause safety concerns: 1. We have no Nuclear power, so no meltdowns here :) 2. We do not have extreme weather like hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis etc. 3. There have been no earthquakes here for as long as my school history taught me about. It probably has never happened. 4. We have no weirdos who delight in school/mall/theater shootings for the fun of it. To our credit, we have the most genuinely friendly people on earth. I think anyone who has ever visited would concur. Nairobi is also a much more safer city to visit than a vast majority of big cities around the world for the reasons I gave above. If you're going to other smaller towns around the country, then your safety goes through the roof! I don't think there any reports of foreigners encountering danger outside Nairobi unless they were frolicking dangerously close to the Somalian border. Avoid that. The coast also tends to be tricky at times for that reason, so stay close to the areas you're advised by your agent. One last tip: Dress down and stay humble. Money (and the arrogant behavior associated with the rich) attracts all sorts of miscreants from pickpockets, conmen, to corrupt officials in whatever offices you may pass through. Have fun, Karibu Kenya!

Most everywhere on earth is safe for you to travel to. I have travelled to over 50 countries, lived in about seven, including Colombia, Nicaragua, and Brazil. I have never experienced any more danger than living in the US. The only places I would not suggest you travel to are places that are really at the state of lawlessness or warfare i.e. Afghanistan or Somalia. Most other countries are WAY safer than the State department or the media would make you think.

As with any city you have to take precautions and be aware of your surroundings. Obviously if you were in an inner city kind of environment in a developed country you wouldn't walk around with your laptop, iPhone etc. on display. Nairobi is no different. Kenyans are welcoming to tourists and it isn't uncommon for foreigners, particularly those with different skin colour from the majority population, to be greeted, stared at or approached. The warnings from the State Department can give a bad rep to a destination unnecessarily. Sure there have been crimes and terrorist acts in Nairobi but the same can be said about Paris, New York or London. To be honest, as a Kenyan I was worried about visiting France in the early 90s and Israel a couple of years ago because of news reports on bombings. After visiting both locations I realised news reports can be more sensational than what is actually happening on the ground. You can only judge the place for yourself when you visit. And, I may be biased but it's completely worth the trip!

The US State Department warning is issued due to some rather unfortunate episodes of tourists being kidnapped from the beach islands close to the Somalian border. But I think as a first time visitor to Kenya, you can really avoid the trouble-some islands. Like most of the people have mentioned here, Nairobi is a lovely city but you need to keep your guard up and be on alert. You surely can't walk to the streets loaded with your bags and show-off a big camera like typical tourists. Those are strong signs for muggers and con-man to get your case. Yes, avoid after sun-set walking at all. Better pay a premium to a taxi for pick-up and drop from your points of travel. I also suggest that before you visit any spot in Nairobi you check with a trusted local on whether those are safe areas for tourists. Avoid by-lanes and lonely roads if you are unsure of where you are going. Most of the safari holidays are safer options but hopefully you will choose trips with a trusted and reputed tour operators who will have safe travel and lodging options for you.

Yes, it is fairly safe to travel around Nairobi. Follow the standard travel safety tips and you should be fine. State doesn't say 'Do not go." The U.S. Embassy still invites/allows many official visitors for temporary work and conferences in Nairobi. Embassy personnel and their families live throughout the city. What State says is to be alert and avoid some areas of the country to reduce your risk exposure. Here are their general tips to avoid problems http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html . but being a seasoned traveler you probably already know them. One item that seems to be tripping up a lot of people in the theft area is losing mobiles/ cameras while sitting with the car window open in traffic. Please do come to Kenya and spend some time in Nairobi. You'll have a great time. See for some suggestions.

Nairobi is very safe, contrary to Media reports and U.S. State Department warnings. Business, safaris and life is going on as usual with nothing to fear. The Kenyan govt has heightened security all over the country, and there is no better time to come over for a safari than now. Personally am going for a trip to Masai Mara with my family and a group of close friends this friday for about one week, and am sure i'l b safe and fun will be guaranteed and uncensored. I'l keep you updated of anything special or changes before you visit Kenya, but for now, go ahead with the trip with confidence.

Always avoid walking around in Nairobi after dark. I was mugged once. After that I never walked around during the night time, always took a taxi. During the day you should probably check that your wallet and cell phone are safe. One of the basic tricks is to not use a wallet at all and just put your money in your pockets. Then the pickpocket gets just some of your money and not all of it. Of course there are carjackings and robberies during the daytime too, but I didn't feel it was too dangerous during the daylight hours. All other cities in Kenya are safer than Nairobi. I was there during the 2007-2008 post-election violence, I think that this time they manage to avoid a situation like that, but it is scary. So you should probably avoid being there during the elections. You would be extremely unlucky to become a victim of a terrorist act. Terrorism can happen anywhere in the world, I wouldn't be too worried about that happening in Kenya.

I was there in 2010 with a friend and didn't feel in danger. We took a cab at night if we went anywhere, but generally the city seemed pretty safe for anyone with basic common sense.