Nairobi Travel Risk — Elevated Risk (53/100)
Is Nairobi safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Nairobi scores 53/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Kenya Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 28 Jul 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country (updated 13 Oct 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Environmental quality (score 15)
Government advisory (score 60)
September 27, 2026
Nairobi, Kenya has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 53 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is government advisory at 60/100; the lowest-rated category is environmental quality at 15/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Kenya travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Nairobi to visit in 2026?
Nairobi currently sits at 53/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the elevated-risk tier. Travelers should plan more carefully than the global average — read the Actions section below before booking. The highest-rated risk category for Nairobi is government advisory (60/100), and the lowest is environmental quality (15/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (70/100) and crime and scams (41/100).
A score of 53 is higher than the scores of 72% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 16, 2026
Nairobi currently holds an elevated baseline safety risk score of 53 out of 100 with a US State Department advisory level of 2. Travelers should remain aware of ongoing regional drought conditions and a Level 1 global Dengue health notice from the CDC. Additionally, international advisories and reports highlight concerns regarding cross-border Ebola spread.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 07:54 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Transport safety (score 60/100): Use the safest available transit. For high-risk routes, prefer reputable carriers and avoid late-night driving.
- Government advisory (score 60/100): Read your country's current official advisory within 7 days of travel. Register with your embassy on arrival if available.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Nairobi
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Exercise heightened caution even during daylight hours. Stick to primary thoroughfares, travel in groups where possible, and avoid navigating quiet residential side-streets alone.
Nighttime movement carries significant risk. Strictly avoid solo walking after dark; rely exclusively on hotel-arranged transportation or registered radiotaxis, and confirm destination security before leaving your accommodation.
Safety by Traveler Type in Nairobi
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Solo travelers
Crime risk is elevated. Solo travelers should avoid quiet areas at night, keep a charged phone and offline map, and share a live location with someone.
Women traveling solo
General crime risk is elevated. Plan arrivals in daylight, avoid isolated areas, and prefer accommodation with 24h reception. We do not hold gender-specific incident data for Nairobi, so also check the live official advisory above and local women-traveler communities.
Older travelers
Health/transport risk is elevated. Confirm medical-evacuation cover, plan rest between transfers, and locate English-capable medical care on arrival.
Business travelers
Digital/money risk is elevated. Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive work, use a VPN, watch for card-skimming at ATMs, and carry minimal cash.
LGBTQ+ travelers
Local laws and social attitudes toward LGBTQ+ travelers vary widely by country and are not captured in our category scores. The official advisory/political indicators are elevated. Read your government LGBTQ+ travel guidance carefully and weigh trip purpose against current conditions.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Nairobi for families with children (Health 45/100 · Natural disaster 20/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | medium |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Nairobi
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Today's weather
☁ Overcast
Nairobi, Kenya
| Today's high / low | 26.1°C / 13.8°C | Wind now / max | 5.3 km/h / 14.7 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humidity | 54% | Precipitation today | 1.4 mm · 86% chance |
| UV (max today) | 9.1 | Sunrise / Sunset | 06:14 / 18:22 |
- High precipitation chance
- Very high UV
Source: Open-Meteo (free public weather API) · fetched 2026-10-16 07:44:25 UTC · cached
Air quality
Air Quality
Good
| PM2.5 / PM10 | 9.5 / 11.1 µg/m³ | O₃ / NO₂ | 84 / 3.1 µg/m³ |
|---|
Source: Open-Meteo Air Quality · fetched 2026-10-16 07:44:25 UTC · cached
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Kenya - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Drought is on going in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda ORANGE · ~430 km away · 2026-07-29
The Drought notification level is Orange.
-
Drought is on going in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Chad ORANGE · country-wide · 2026-07-03
The Drought notification level is Orange.
-
Green forest fire notification in Tanzania GREEN · ~238 km away · 2026-10-14
On 07/10/2026, a forest fire started in Tanzania, until 15/10/2026.
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 07:54:07 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
Most flood events within 100 km of Nairobi happened in April (2 of 7 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Kenya travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Kenya entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-16 07:26:45 UTC
Recent headlines
Recent Headlines · Nairobi Kenya
-
Kenya prepared for Ebola. It still slipped through — a warning of wider cross-border spread
CNN · 6d ago
-
India issues travel advisory to citizens visiting Kenya
People Daily · 1d ago
-
UK rules out changes to Kenya travel advisory as Ebola spreads, urges international efforts to contain outbreak
The Eastleigh Voice · 2d ago
-
Canada issues Ebola warning for travellers to Kenya
The Star, Kenya · 6d ago
-
‘Kenya is safe and fun to visit’ - www.the-star.co.ke
6h ago
-
Senator Sigei demands answers over 354 Kenyans missing abroad amid Russia-Ukraine war
People Daily · 4d ago
Source: Google News · headlines verbatim, dates from publishers · fetched 2026-10-16 07:44:27 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Nairobi
The most weather-stable two-month window for Nairobi is August–September, when typical daily temperatures run from about 13°C to 24°C and monthly rain averages 19 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include cyclone season in November–April. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 5, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Nairobi
Nairobi has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 1 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Better Living Hospital
- Hospital: Central hospital
- Hospital: Frontline Medical Consultants limited
- Hospital: Hurlingham Medical Center
- Hospital: Kenyatta National Hospital
- Hospital: mater hospital
- Hospital: Nairobi hospital
- Hospital: Nairobi Hospital
- Hospital: Student's Clinic
- Hospital: University Mobile Clinic
- Police: Unnamed police
- Police: Capitol Hill police station
- Police: Industrial Area police station
- Police: Kamukunji Police Station
- Police: Kenyatta Hospital Police Post
- Police: Muthurua Police Station
- Police: Nairobi Area Traffic HQ
- Police: Nairobi Central Police Station
- Police: Nairobi Provincial Police Headquaters
- Police: Parklands Police Station
- Embassy: Embassy of Austria
- Embassy: Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
- Embassy: Libyan Consulate
- Embassy: Mozambique Embassy
- Embassy: Zambia High Commission
- Pharmacy: Goodlife pharmacy
- Pharmacy: GoodLife Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Haltons Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Kimton pharmacy Ltd
- Pharmacy: Lords Healthcare Ltd
- Pharmacy: Malibu
- Pharmacy: Malibu pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Malibu Pharmacy Ltd
- Pharmacy: Pharmaplus
- Pharmacy: Seropharm E.A
- Fire station: Nairobi Fire Station
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (Kenya)
| Police | 999 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 999 |
| Fire | 999 |
| General | 112 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Medical access
| Hospital access | low |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | low |
| Emergency response | low |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | high |
The provided sources do not contain specific information about hospitals, emergency services, or pharmacy availability in Nairobi. Consequently, no concrete assessment of healthcare quality for travelers can be derived.
Common scam patterns
- Fake Police Drug Shakedown. Scammers impersonate police officers and demand money or drugs from travelers, often threatening arrest. This scam is reported as high risk on multiple traveler forums. Tip: Never hand over money or comply with demands; verify officer identity at a police station.
- Taxi Overcharging. Unregulated taxis often negotiate inflated fares or refuse to use meters, especially with tourists. Ride‑hailing apps like Uber or Bolt are recommended to avoid this. Tip: Use app‑based ride services and confirm the fare before starting the trip.
- Bag Snatching at Traffic Lights. Pickpockets target travelers at busy intersections, quickly snatching phones or bags. The risk is highest in crowded city centre areas. Tip: Keep valuables out of sight and avoid standing near traffic lights with bags hanging loosely.
Area notes
- Gigiri. Considered one of Nairobi's safest neighborhoods, home to the UN and many diplomatic missions.
- Runda. A well‑secured residential suburb frequently listed among the city’s safest districts.
- Westlands. Identified in crime reports as one of the less safe estates, requiring heightened vigilance.
Nearest embassies & consulates
Find your home country's diplomatic mission in Kenya for consular support, lost passports, or citizen emergencies:
Frequently asked questions about Nairobi
Is Nairobi safe?
Nairobi currently scores 53/100 on our composite travel risk index (elevated risk; lower is safer). It already includes the current US State Department advisory for Kenya (Level 2 of 4). Official advice can change quickly, so check it again shortly before you travel.
Sources: Travel Risk Calculator — Nairobi · Methodology
Is Nairobi safe today?
As of 11 October 2026, official advice for Kenya — US: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; UK: FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country; CA: Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events were recorded within roughly 100 km in the last 30 days. This page's live weather, alerts and news refresh throughout the day.
Sources: US State Department · UK FCDO (OGL v3.0) · Global Affairs Canada · GDACS
What is the travel advisory for Nairobi?
Official advice for Kenya: US — Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; UK — FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country; CA — Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). Advice can differ by region, so read the full notice before you go.
Sources: US State Department · UK FCDO (OGL v3.0) · Global Affairs Canada
Run a personalized assessment for Nairobi
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | 48 → 53 | moderate → elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Sep 9, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| May 15, 2026 | — → 44 | moderate | Data update Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (round 2: Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + GPI + EPI references) |
Every editorial change to Nairobi's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Nairobi
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Nairobi, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.