State Department Raises Kenya Travel Advisory To Level 3 Over Ebola Risk, Tells Americans To ‘Prepare A Will’

The U.S. State Department has raised its travel advisory for Kenya, one of Africa’s most popular safari destinations, urging Americans to “reconsider travel” to the country amid growing health concerns tied to Ebola.

The department moved Kenya from Level 2, “Exercise Increased Caution,” to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” on Monday, Oct. 19, citing “health risks.” The updated warning also cites crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest and traffic safety.

The escalation follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to issue a Travel Health Notice for Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease in Kenya. The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May, and Kenya recently confirmed its eighth case, according to Kenya’s Daily Nation.

The advisory warns that medical care in Kenya is limited, particularly in rural areas. “Except for a few private medical facilities based in the large urban centers with enhanced capability, many health issues may require medical evacuation at your own expense,” it reads, adding that facilities “will usually deny service if payment is not made upfront.”

The update drew attention for its blunt guidance to travelers who still plan to go. Among its recommendations, the State Department tells Americans to “prepare a will,” designate insurance beneficiaries or draft a power of attorney, and “establish a proof of life protocol” with loved ones in case they are taken hostage. It also suggests leaving DNA samples with a medical provider “in case it is necessary for your family to access them for identification purposes.”

The department includes similar language in its advisories for many higher-risk destinations.

Parts of Kenya remain under a stricter Level 4, “Do Not Travel,” designation. Those areas include the Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera; the counties of Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Lamu and Tana River, with the exception of Tsavo National Park; Kilifi north of highway C103; coastal areas north of Malindi, where the militant group Al-Shabaab is active; West Pokot County and western Turkana County; and areas within 30 miles of the Ethiopian border.

Kenya’s best-known safari destinations, including the Maasai Mara, are not included in the Level 4 zones. Still, the advisory flags several risks for tourists, noting that protesters have attacked vehicles carrying Americans, including safari vehicles, and that tourists who were not wearing seat belts have been seriously injured or killed in safari vehicle accidents. It also warns that some Americans have been sexually assaulted at bars, resorts and hotels.

The State Department recommends that travelers buy insurance that covers medical evacuation, book with licensed tour operators, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and avoid demonstrations.

The warning has drawn pushback in Kenya, where some observers noted the irony that the U.S. had earlier this year sought to build an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya for American citizens exposed to the disease elsewhere in the region. Nairobi-based pathologist Dr. Ahmed Kalebi accused Washington of hypocrisy, the Daily Nation reported.

The move comes days after the State Department lowered its advisory for neighboring Tanzania from Level 3 to Level 2.

Kenya has become a top tourist destination among celebrities, including Sydney Sweeney.