How safe is Kenya for foreign residents?

Question

One of my friends recently moved there with her husband- she tells me that she just has to stay in a compound all day, and can't go out for fear of being mugged. Compound has an electric fence and armed guards, about 48 foreign families live there.

Does this reflect the real dangers of living in Kenya, or is it overkill?

Answer 1

There are alot of foreigners who live in Kenya and there are also alot of Italian Kenyans and Briton Kenyans who were born in Kenya and have integrated into society. Your friend has some psychological issues,
1st of all, White Kenyans or europeans living in Kenya are less targeted when it comes to robbing, usually its the upper class Kenyans who are mugged because what happens is that the foreigners sometimes isolate themselves from the communities so the people including the thieves tend to be scared of foreigners and most would not dare mug them because of superstition, rumors, e.t.c
also, I find that alot of missionaries especially americans are extremely scared of crime alot more than europeans and asians. That is why they tend to live in their own communities and they think everyone is out to get them which is really stupid because they are in as much danger as I am in living here and I've never gotten robbed or attacked. It might also have to do with the region of Kenya. Some regions in kenya have 0 crime rate and others like some neighbohoods in Nairobi are not so kind. In my school we had a married couple who came to teach at my school and they lived in the slums (these are the most dangerous parts of the city, even I wouldnt dare go there). They didnt get attacked or robbed while they lived in the slums, they just lived like any other poor Kenyan of the slums and they didnt seem to be scared of the being robbed. I think that your friend is missing out on alot because she wont really ever get to experience Kenya, sure she'll be living in Kenya but she'll be living in her own little electric fenced world.
P.S no one gets robbed in Kenya, in the city, in broad daylight. our criminals are not that stupid, we dont close our doors during daylight.

Answer 2

I am English and white and we have a house in Kenya, just north of Mombasa. It is in a compound and we have to go through a security gate. We also have two big dogs to guard us though, but I absolutely have no fear of living there. I go out by myself, catch a matatu etc., in fact do everything during the day that I would do in Europe. The only thing that I will not do is go out in the dark by myself. Some parts of every country has it's bad areas. I was actually more scared walking in some districts of New York in the dark.

Answer 3

Kenya is a very safe country as far as i know even with foreigners.Personally i am married by a dutch man and we live partly in Kenya and Netherlands for the last two years.We have also bought a house since my husband loves Kenya.
Recently we opened a Tour Company EASAFAS limited whose website is www.easafas.com.This is to assure you not to feel fear about our country socially,economically and politically we a correct Nation.
Good Luck In Kenya!!!

Answer 4

Nairobi conjures all of the relationship and adventure of their colourful colonial days and is a great place to invest your holiday, learn more with hotelbye . Among the points worth see is the Nairobi's rich record and tribal culture is brought alive in their outstanding museums and the Karen Blixen Museum in one of many memorial many visited. Also in Nairobi you are able to visit Nairobi National Park. The park is just a rhino refuge and protects more than 50 of those really endangered creatures. Along with the rhinos, readers could see: lions, gazelles, buffaloes, warthogs, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, and ostriches, and more than 400 species of chickens have been noted in the wetlands and here, the Nairobi Safari Walk is a favorite interest giving animal lovers the opportunity to place wildlife on foot, and walking paths weave around the location referred to as Hippo Pools. Nairobi is surely a city wherever full the household can enjoy.

Answer 5

Kenya is a wonderful country, and the people are very nice, but you have to remember that it is also a very poor country, and there is a lot of poverty.....naturally, foreigners who appear to be well off do tend to come in for some resentment.

Answer 6

that is wrong i have lived in kenya for seven years. it is really safe for american, europeans and any other person you can think of. but if you go there you should live in the capital city and if you do not trust me you can live in embakasi that place is so secure that it makes the white house seem like a public place

Answer 7

Thats overkill. Kenya is a safe country but like everywhere in the world there are areas where crime is prime.

Answer 8

that's being paranoid. i lived in kenya for 10 years - that's more than half of my life. it's a very nice place. there's actually alot of foreigners :) for me it's the best country in eastern africa. i went to an international school, and it was really fun. got to meet alot of other kinds of people... it's fun :) the best years of my life so far is in kenya.. if it's so notorious for being a bad place, then why is it very in demand for tourists? hehehe...

Answer 9

thats overkill surely we have whites volunteering even in hard core areas the place shes talking about is well guarded she should get out and smell the flowers tell her its a waste to live in such a beautiful country and not expolre

Answer 10

Erm, that sounds more like J'berg than Kenya.

I have been there twice (once on my own) never had any issues.