The United Kingdom has told its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Moyale, a town on Kenya's border with Ethiopia. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued the updated advisory on Friday, November 6. It covers Moyale town and an area extending five kilometres around it, including the border with Ethiopia, The Star reported.
The FCDO said the change reflected its assessment of the security situation and "reports of cross-border incidents affecting the Kenyan side of the border." According to Citizen Digital, the British government also warned that travellers who ignore its advice could find their travel insurance invalidated. The office said it reviews its advice as conditions change.
The warning follows fighting that broke out on October 22 in neighbouring Ethiopia. Citizen Digital reported that the clashes pit forces from the Oromia and Somali regions against each other. Stray bullets and rocket-propelled grenades have landed on the Kenyan side, forcing families near the border to move. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said two women, one Kenyan and one Ethiopian, had died after being hit by stray bullets. Several other people were injured.
Kanja visited Moyale on Thursday, November 5, and ordered more officers deployed to the town. He told officers to step up surveillance and stay on high alert to stop the violence spreading further into Kenya. He said the best solution was a quick end to the conflict. He added that the government was engaging Ethiopian authorities to resolve it, which would also ease the movement of Kenyans stranded across the border.
The human toll is mounting. Kanja said about 10,000 displaced people were still living in temporary shelters and public institutions around Moyale. The Kenya Red Cross says more than 50,000 people have crossed into Kenya to escape the fighting, according to Citizen Digital. Daily Nation reported on Saturday that about 10 buses, each with 62 seats, now leave the area for Nairobi every day.
Daily life in Moyale has been hit hard. The town relies heavily on electricity from Ethiopia and now faces power cuts. Cross-border trade has also been disrupted. Prices of rice, cooking oil and milk have almost doubled, Citizen Digital reported.
The advisory is not a general travel ban on Kenya. The UK still advises against all travel to Mandera county, parts of Wajir county, most of Garissa county and parts of Lamu county, citing the threat from Somalia-based al Shabaab. It also advises against all but essential travel to Garissa Town, parts of Tana River county and sections of the coastline.