Kenyan security

I haven't written anything about this tricky subject so far, but as I've had several emails and skypes about the massacre last weekend at Mandera, I thought I had better.

Firstly, Mandera is about four or five days drive from Kisumu, the last half over desert roads.  Mandera is right in the north-eastern corner of Kenya, tucked into a point of land between Ethiopia and Somalia.   Many people, even here, hardly know where it is, as this cartoon in todays Daily Nation shows:-

The characters comment about it sounding like the Middle East is just what its like .... Al Shabaab (and ISiL in Iraq and Syria) want everyone to be their sort of Moslems, but the Islam they preach isn't true Islam, which is a peaceable religion.   

BUT, the incidence of such events, like the massacre at the Westlands supermarket mall last year, and other attacks in Nairobi have more or less killed off the tourist industry here; also some international businesses are starting to wonder about things.   HOWEVER, I would say that if Serena Mara is anything to go by, its very safe, and many tourists fly in, and fly out again.... hardly the way to see the real Kenya, but at least some do come.  

The local newspapers are having a field day about internal security, and there are protests from the wananchi in Nairobi about the general lack of security in the country.    But here in Kisumu, in the west, it feels fine.