Nairobi to Addis - security in North Kenya

[hugmin42]

Only saw this post now. Thanks for warning others about this. We luckily made it through safely and then had to head south to Nakuru and are now in Uganda. We'll try to be better informed in the future.

That being said, we didn't feel threatened at all and there were two bulldozers working on the road. We also passed a police/army camp and friendly police officers racing passed us down the steep pass stopped to talk to us and they didn't seem surprised by our presence at all. We also passed two herders with their AK47's, but they also just waved friendly.

I'm not trying to suggest that it is safe or that other's should do the route, obviously it would be bad if something happened to us. But something can happen to you in your own house especially if you're living in South Africa. We met travellers who was captured by bandits in the north of Uganda. They kept him for 5 days, but he just made music for them and had a 'good time' until they let him go. Other people travel through the DRC or Syria. So on the one hand it is not safe anywhere in the world and in another sense it is.

Regarding the C road status, we've driven on a few C roads in Kenya that was tarred, like the C17 and C21 and recently the C40, so it seems that the letters are not that consistent. We've also driven on D roads that was well maintained gravel roads.


To add to the discussion about the way to Ethiopia. We met several people who came from Ethiopia or went to Ethiopia from Jungle Junction in the time we were there. A young german couple in an overland truck just arrived when we came back from Ethiopia, they drove through Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Uwe Schmidt with his BMW GS1200 also headed into Ethiopia two weeks ago or so and is currently in Addis. I think they used the main road to Moyale without any problems. Another traveller Dan also headed to Ethiopia via the Lake Turkana route, but haven't heard about how it went.

[Wazungu Wawili]

I am very pleased, Hugo, that all went well and you had a good time. Shame you went from Baringo to Nakuru and not up the Iten escarpment of the Rift Valley to Eldoret. A really beautiful road with stunning views into the Kerio Valley.

I totally agree that there is trouble all over the world, but if people get shot in their own homes in South Africa it doesn't, somehow, affect tourism and the economy. If a tourist or a Mzungu Kenyan gets shot in Kenya, then it hits the international news and seriously affects tourism and the economy. It is just not worth putting yourselves into a situation that is avoidable by taking a different route. I hazard a guess that the police were in that area solely because of what had been happening a few months ago. Unrest in any country is mostly very localised.

Nobody, but nobody goes through or visits Syria at this most desperate of times for that country. Parts of the DRC are still transited by some overlanders.

Safari njema and congratulations on getting to Uganda and your turn-around point.

[Wazungu Wawili]

The following trip report is about our drive from Nairobi to the Bale Mountains in southern Ethiopia (via Nanyuki, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale in northern Kenya, and then through southern Ethiopia) in late January 2017. Even if you are not going on our rather intrepid route from Moyale to the Bale Mountains, then the first part to Yabelo will be relevant to those heading due north from Moyale to Addis.

And our return trip back to Nairobi. There is nothing to fear about this new, immaculate Tarmac road - but one does have to take it all in manageable bite-sized chunks. Follow our stop-overs and you will be very happy.

http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/...-from-Ethiopia