The French government has warned of a possibility of a terrorist attack in Nairobi targeting public spaces frequented by western nationals.

France described the threat as a “real risk”, warning its nationals and Kenyans at large to exercise caution.

“There is a persistence of serious threats against Western nationals in Kenya. There is a real risk targeting public places frequented by foreign nationals (restaurants, hotels, leisure venues, shopping malls, etc.), particularly in Nairobi,” read a notice published by the country Foreign Office on Thursday.

The French embassy in Nairobi emphasized on the need for people in areas presumed as targets to be on the high alert.

“Therefore, people in Kenya are advised to exercise extreme vigilance and avoid frequenting these public places in the coming days, including this weekend,” it added.

Though, the embassy did not specify the terrorist organization, Kenya has suffered a brunt of attacks from Al-Qaeda linked jihadist group Al-Shabaab.

The Somalia-based terror outfit has staged a series of attacks on Kenyan soil since the country launched a military offensive against them in 2011 in an intervention dubbed “Operation Linda Nchi”.

Kenyan troops deployed in Somalia work alongside other forces from other countries including Uganda, Burundi and Djibouti under the African Union’s AMISOM coalition.
The warning comes in the wake of increased terror attacks in Kenya’s coastal region the latest being an attack on Wednesday where a team of court officials were shot at and injured by suspected Al Shabaab militants.

A police report indicated the militants attacked the vehicle they were in as they headed to Garsen town from a Mobile Court in Kapini, at around 5.50pm.

The report stated that those in the vehicle included the driver, Garsen Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Paul Rotich, court prosecutor, court assistant, clerk and two police officers.