Wednesday August 20, 2025
The United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, pictured on August 20, 2025. The embassy issued a security alert warning of possible terrorist attacks by Al-Shabaab and other extremist groups in the capital.
NAIROBI, Kenya (HOL) — The United States Embassy in Nairobi has warned of potential terrorist attacks by Al-Shabaab and other extremist groups, urging Americans and foreign nationals in Kenya’s capital to heighten security measures.
In a security alert issued Tuesday, the embassy described terrorist organizations as an “ongoing and persistent threat not only in Kenya as a whole, but also in Nairobi.” The warning identified hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls, markets, schools, police stations and places of worship as possible targets, stressing that such attacks “can occur with little to no warning.”
The alert noted that concerns are often heightened around anniversaries of previous attacks, including the Aug. 7, 1998, U.S. Embassy bombing in Nairobi, the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, the Sept. 21, 2013, Westgate Mall massacre, and the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel.
U.S. officials advised citizens to remain alert in crowded areas, review their personal security plans, monitor local media for updates, avoid protests and large gatherings, and “keep a low profile.”
The advisory is the latest in a series of warnings the U.S. Embassy has issued in Kenya. Some past alerts preceded actual attacks, while others did not materialize. Kenyan officials have not immediately responded to the latest warning.
Washington and Nairobi maintain close counterterrorism cooperation, with the United States providing training, intelligence, and equipment to Kenyan forces. U.S. Africa Command has supported joint operations in East Africa, while the State Department has funded border security and police counterterrorism units.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida–linked group based in Somalia, has carried out major cross-border assaults in Kenya for more than a decade. The group claimed responsibility for the 2013 Westgate Mall siege, which killed 67 people, and the 2015 Garissa University attack, which left 148 dead. Despite heightened security in Nairobi, analysts warn the group’s ability to stage high-profile attacks remains a persistent concern for Kenya and its international partners.
