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UK, Canada slam Kenya terror attacks

The UK government says it has not, and is not ready to issue any travel advisory but will instead focus on working with the Kenyan government in fighting the vice/FILE

The UK government says it has not, and is not ready to issue any travel advisory but will instead focus on working with the Kenyan government in fighting the vice/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 5 – The international community has expressed its support for Kenya in fighting terror threats, following attacks over the weekend in Mombasa and Nairobi.

The UK government says it has not, and is not ready to issue any travel advisory but will instead focus on working with the Kenyan government in fighting the vice.

Condemning the weekend attacks, the British High Commissioner to Kenya Christian Turner said terrorism was a global problem which should be addressed in collaborative effort.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about these travel advisories. The British government has not issued an increase in its travel advisory since the Westgate attack. We are keen to carry on allowing travellers who want to come to Kenya to do so and enjoy what this country has to offer,” Turner told Capital FM news.

“We all have to work together to ensure that everyone is safe and we issue advice accordingly on perhaps areas to avoid. But we are not telling people not to visit Kenya,” he empasised.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird also condemned the attacks calling for spirited efforts to apprehend those involved.

“Attacks like these, targeting innocent citizens, must not go unpunished. Whoever perpetrated and supported this violence must be held accountable,” he said in a statement.

He has extended his deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims, as well as best wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured.

“Canada continues to support the Kenyan government in the fight against terror,” he maintained.

At least six people died and over 80 others injured in the attacks.

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Saturday’s twin blasts in Mombasa left at least three people dead and 23 injured when a grenade was hurled at a bus stop in Mwembe Tayari. The second explosion occurred after an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated near the Reef Hotel in Nyali.

In Nairobi, twin blasts took place in two buses along the Thika Super Highway on Sunday at Roysambu and near Homeland Inn.

Among the most affected sectors when advisories are issued is the tourism sector which has since been hard hit after the Westgate attack in September last year.

In 2013, the number of tourist arrivals decreased by 11.2 percent to 1.5 million from 1.7 million in 2012, according to the Economic survey 2014 released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) last week.

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