Kenya

Risk Level: Two - Danger exists

[ about risk levels ]
Kenya is affected by the ongoing Somali Civil War - the main threat comes from militants in response to Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia. The US has a warning in place to exercise caution below FL260 in Kenya’s airspace east of 40 degrees East longitude (the border region with Somalia).

The primary risk is from indirect mortar and rocket fire, including MANPADS, which could target aircraft at low altitudes and at airports.

Major events:
Jan 2020: Two US military/govt aircraft (C-146A, DHC-8), and two helicopters, were destroyed in a militant attack on HKLU/Manda Airport, a US/Kenya joint military base in Lamu county, east coast. Security concerns in this part of Kenya have been ongoing for several years.

Jan 2019: Al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on a hotel complex in central Nairobi on 15 Jan 2019, killing at least 14 people. There were a number of attacks by Al-Shabab in Kenya in preceding years, but none in Nairobi since the attack on the Westgate shopping mall in 2013.

Current warnings list :

Source Reference Issued Valid to
USA Notam KICZ A0008/22 26 Feb 2022 27 Feb 2023
USA US FAA Background Notice 26 Feb 2022 27 Feb 2023
UK UK AIP ENR 1.1 (1.4.5) 12 Aug 2016 Ongoing
Source: USA
Issued: 26-Feb-22, valid until: 27 Feb 2023
Plain English: Avoid operating below FL260 in Kenya's airspace east of 40 degrees East longitude (the border region with Somalia) due to extremist and militant activity.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ADVISORY FOR KENYA. THOSE PERSONS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH A (APPLICABILITY) BELOW ARE ADVISED TO EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN FLYING INTO, OUT OF, WITHIN, OR OVER THE TERRITORY AND AIRSPACE OF KENYA EAST OF 40 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE AT ALTITUDES BELOW FLIGHT LEVEL (FL) 260 DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTREMIST/MILITANT ACTIVITY.
A. APPLICABILITY. THIS NOTAM APPLIES TO: ALL U.S. AIR CARRIERS AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS; ALL PERSONS EXERCISING THE PRIVILEGES OF AN AIRMAN CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE FAA, EXCEPT SUCH PERSONS OPERATING U.S.-REGISTERED AIRCRAFT FOR A FOREIGN AIR CARRIER; AND ALL OPERATORS OF CIVIL AIRCRAFT REGISTERED IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT WHERE THE OPERATOR OF SUCH AIRCRAFT IS A FOREIGN AIR CARRIER.
B. PLANNING. THOSE PERSONS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH A (APPLICABILITY) PLANNING TO FLY INTO, OUT OF, WITHIN, OR OVER THE ABOVE-NAMED AREA AT ALTITUDES BELOW FL260 ARE STRONGLY REMINDED TO REVIEW CURRENT SECURITY/THREAT INFORMATION AND NOTAMS; COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE FAA REGULATIONS, OPERATIONS SPECIFICATIONS, MANAGEMENT SPECIFICATIONS, AND LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION, INCLUDING UPDATING B450; AND, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE, PROVIDE AT LEAST 72-HOUR ADVANCE NOTICE OF PLANNED FLIGHTS TO THE FAA AT FAA-WATCH@FAA.GOV WITH SPECIFIC FLIGHT DETAILS.
C. OPERATIONS. EXERCISE CAUTION DURING FLIGHT OPERATIONS DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF ATTACKS ON CIVIL AVIATION BY EXTREMISTS/MILITANTS. AIRCRAFT MAY ENCOUNTER FIRE FROM SMALL ARMS; INDIRECT FIRE WEAPONS, SUCH AS MORTARS AND ROCKETS; AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT-CAPABLE WEAPONS, INCLUDING MAN-PORTABLE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS (MANPADS). SUCH WEAPONS COULD TARGET AIRCRAFT AT LOW ALTITUDES, INCLUDING DURING THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE PHASES OF FLIGHT, AND/OR TARGET AIRPORTS AND AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND, ESPECIALLY AT AIRPORTS LOCATED EAST OF 40 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE. THOSE PERSONS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH A (APPLICABILITY) MUST REPORT SAFETY AND/OR SECURITY INCIDENTS TO THE FAA AT +1 202-267-3333.
INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AT: HTTPS://WWW.FAA.GOV/AIR_TRAFFIC/PUBLICATIONS/US_RESTRICTIONS/.
SFC - FL259, 26 FEB 12:20 2022 UNTIL 26 FEB 23:59 2023 ESTIMATED.
CREATED: 26 FEB 12:28 2022
Source: USA
Issued: 26-Feb-22, valid until: 27 Feb 2023
Plain English: Avoid operating below FL260 in Kenya's airspace east of 40 degrees East longitude (the border region with Somalia) due to extremist and militant activity.
Due to cross-border extremist/militant attacks originating in Somalia, risk remains to U.S. civil aviation flying into, out of, within or over the territory and airspace of Kenya east of 40 degrees east longitude at altitudes below Flight Level (FL) 260. As a result, on 26 Feb 2022, the FAA published Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) KICZ A0008-22, advising U.S. civil aviation to exercise caution when flying into, out of, within, or over the territory and airspace of Kenya at altitudes below FL260 east of 40 degrees east longitude.

While primarily active in Somalia, al-Shabaab, an al-Qa’ida-affiliated extremist/militant group, is the predominate extremist/militant threat concern in Kenya and has demonstrated its capability and intent to conduct attacks against Kenyan government security forces, civilians, and Western interests in Kenya, including joint civil-military airfields, primarily near Kenya’s eastern border with Somalia and in the coastal region of Kenya adjacent to Somalia. The most recent attack on a dual use airfield occurred in January 2020, at Camp Simba, which is co-located with Manda Bay Airport (ICAO: HKLU), and destroyed or damaged multiple aircraft. Al-Shabaab possesses, or has access to, a variety of weapons, including small arms; indirect fire weapons, and anti-aircraft-capable weapons, including man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). Such weapons could target aircraft at low altitudes, including during the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or target airports and aircraft on the ground, especially at airfields located east of 40 degrees east longitude. Some MANPADS have the capability to reach a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet.

Despite Kenya’s security efforts, al-Shabaab continues present a threat in Kenya. The U.S. Department of State’s January 4, 2022 travel advisory for Kenya recommends U.S. travelers to exercise increased caution in Kenya due to, among other things, terrorism. The travel advisory indicates terrorist attacks have occurred with little or no warning, targeting Kenyan and foreign government facilities, tourist locations, transportation hubs, hotels, resorts, markets/shopping malls, and places of worship. Terrorist acts have included armed assaults, suicide operations, bomb/grenade attacks, and kidnappings. Additionally, France and Germany issued a warning regarding the potential for attacks on places often frequented by foreigners in late January 2022.

Al-Shabaab continues to intermittently plan and execute high-profile attacks, with the last highprofile attack occurring in January 2019 on the DusitD2 compound. Al-Shabaab also continued to conduct small-scale attacks against ground-based targets in the Kenya-Somalia border region throughout 2021. In early 2022, the number of attacks in the Kenya-Somalia border region increased, but attackers employed unsophisticated tactics using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and small arms against vehicle convoys and security posts, as evidenced by the late-January attack in the border region of Mandera County in which a road-side bomb killed 13 civilians. AlShabaab maintains freedom of movement in the Kenya-Somalia border region and has expressed intent to conduct additional attacks against Kenyan targets in retaliation for Kenya sending troops to Somalia as part of the African Union mission to counter al-Shabaab, and could conduct additional attacks, including against aviation-related targets, with little-to-no warning.
Source: UK
Issued: 12-Aug-16, valid until: Ongoing
Plain English: UK operators should not overfly the HKNA/Nairobi FIR below 25,000ft AGL, due to potential risk from anti-aviation weaponry.
Security - Hazardous Situation in Kenya

UK civil air operators are advised to take potential risk into account within the FIR NAIROBI (HKNA) below 25,000 FT above ground level (AGL). Potential risk from anti-aircraft weaponry.

Contact UK Department for Transport +44 (0)207-082 6639 or +44 (0)207-944 3111 out of hours.