The Threat of Terrorism in Kenya
The threat of terrorism
hangs heavy over Kenya- worrying the local Kenyan communities, as
their economy is dependent upon the wealth that tourism brings. The
slightest piece of bad news deters travellers from the UK. When
speaking to the hotel manager he confirmed that his bookings are down
by 60%, impacts of this resort to him having to let staff go. With
employment rates at a low, for some their only chance of employment
is with the hotel. I built up a friendship with one of the waiters
through my frequent visits to Watamu. However, this year I returned to
find that he, along with many others, had lost his job. When getting into
contact with him again, I found that he has travelled to Sudan in
search for work. Once earning a decent salary, he will send the money
home to his family. This is a common occurrence in countries like
Kenya or the African Continent, showing the sacrifices families must
make to get by.
A prominent threat that
has been recognized worldwide is the threat from Somali terrorists
and Pirates, again contributing greatly to Kenya’s economy. This
affected my family and I directly, with the possibility that we
weren’t able to travel to Watamu with it being so close to the
boarder of the restricted area in which the government had issued.
This was the same year when fireworks were banned for New Year
celebrations; seen to act as a hazard with the terrorist attacks in
Nairobi at the time. Although the threats of Somalia terrorists and
Pirates have undoubtedly decreased, you can see the country now
taking serious precautions to prevent any potential threat within
vulnerable areas.
On my visit to town, I
walked past a local church. What was brought to my attention was the
people entering the church were being scanned for weapons. It is
clear from this that, although very minimal, the locals are doing
their best to protect themselves and their communities. However it is
difficult not to notice that the resources that they have for
security aren’t a fraction of the security surrounding and
protecting my hotel. It seems that the life of a Western is more
valuable than that of a local Kenyan? Incidentally, something that is
an on going concern and threat of the Kenyan peoples daily life,
these frequent terrorist attacks in Mombasa are so rarely heard of
back home- is that because no Western people have been killed?
The presence of US Troops in Kenya
One of the most
constant aspects of my holiday to Watamu is the people, with the same
individuals return each year. However to my surprise I’m sharing
the resort with 15 US troops. Stationed here until May; I had some
initial concerns about their reason for being here, particularly with
Kenya’s increasing rate of terrorist attacks.
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| Photography - Lottie May (all rights reserved) |
After speaking to
them it was pleasing to note their role here is one of education and
welfare support. The US has invested heavily to develop the local
Kenyan people’s understanding of enhanced farming techniques (fish
farms), improving their environmental and social awareness. These all
aim to help build strong, stable relations within the country to gain
peaceful communities. In the long term this works to grow a sense of
self-sufficiency amongst the Kenyan people, striving for a more
independent country. This proactive strategy not only improves the
way of life for the people, but also makes them less susceptible to
the influence of radical fundamentalists who prey of dissatisfaction
and encourage violent behavior. When speaking with the Lieutenant it
is clear that are doing as much as they can to put things right and
essentially avoiding any unnecessary conflict taking innocent lives.
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| Photography - Lottie May (all rights reserved) |
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