Planning for a safari in East Africa and are wondering which is safer between Tanzania and Kenya. I have lived in East Africa all my life so let me give you the answer.
Tanzania is generally safer than Kenya since its crime rates are slightly lower than Kenya and there are fewer reported cases of terror attacks and major security incidents. Tanzania is also more politically stable than Kenya and this reduces the chances of you getting caught up in any protests or political upheavals. Even though this is the case, there are still a number of security factors that would make you prefer Kenya to Tanzania. Let’s look at this topic in greater depth and discuss the exceptions to this advice.
Tanzania is Safer than Kenya
Being Kenyan, I needed to try to be as unbiased as possible in answering this question so I spent a few hours trying to get hard data to establish which is the safer countries between Kenya and Tanzania. As you can see in the table below, Tanzania ranks better than Kenya in 3 out of the 4 indicators. I chose these indicators based on what I thought would best represent how safe a person would be when traveling in a country.
| Factor | Kenya | Tanzania | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crimes Per 100,000 people | 30.5 | 3.5 | Knoema |
| Major Terror Attacks since 1998 | 9 | 1 | Wikipedia & UK.gov |
| Political Stability Index | -1.6 | -0.5 | World Bank |
| Discrimination of foreigners | More Tolerant | Less Tolerant | US.GOV |
Let’s discuss each of these indicators and my personal experience with each of these incidences.
Crime Rates
I tried to look for data that would help me compare the two countries to determine which is safer and here is what I found to be the reported incidents of crime rates
Kenya is generally a safe country even though the statistics favor Tanzania. Kenya has a specialized Tourist police unit that has the following mandate:
i. Protection of tourist‘s life and property
Source: Kenya Police Service Website
ii. Provide security and safety to tourists
iii. Handle and receive inquiries, claims and complaints by tourists
iv. Investigate tourists related crimes and prosecute offenders
v. Patrol beaches, hotels and tourist circuits street/roads used by tourists with a view of averting attacks on them
vi. Provide escorts to tourists
vii. Protect tourist from harassment by beach operators, parking boys and hawkers.
viii. To offer general advice and guidance to tourists
ix. Assist tourists during cultural festivals.
To Tanzania’s credit, they also have a tourist police unit that has a similar mandate with their Kenyan counterparts.
The worst crime that has ever happened to me when someone snatched my phone when I was walking on a lonely road one early morning. Other than that, I have enjoyed relative safety living in Kenya. Based on my experience, it is unlikely that you as a traveler to Kenya will experience any crime but based on pure statistics, you are probably safer from crime in Tanzania than in Kenya.
Terror Attacks
Kenya has experienced more incidences of terrorism than Tanzania. The fact that Kenya shares a border with Somalia means that we have borne the brunt of attacks from violent extremist groups there.
None of the terror incidences have been directed at tourists and most popular tourist destinations like the Masai Mara are located very far away from the Kenya- Somalia border. This means that as a tourist, your risk levels of experiencing danger in this sense is low.
Political Stability
Tanzania is more politically stable than Kenya. As you can see in the graph below from the World Bank, Tanzania’s political stability is close to the world median while Kenya’s is several factors below.
The reason for this is the fact that Kenya has experienced a number of political incidences that resulted in violent protests and destruction of property in a number of towns in.
These incidences usually happen every five years when we conduct our general elections and during that time, I would highly advise against traveling to Kenya as a tourist.
Tanzania, on the other hand, has experienced long periods of political stability and non-violence. I would attribute this to the stable and incident-free handing over of power when elections happen.
Discrimination
The only factor where Tanzania falls short is on discrimination of some foreigners.
As indicated on the State.gov info for Tanzania you stand a greater chance of being discriminated against as a foreigner in Tanzania.
I would term Kenya as more tolerant than Tanzania and I attribute that to the fact that Kenya has a lot of western values ingrained in its culture and this has led to lower levels of discrimination.
Economic prosperity
Kenya enjoys more economic prosperity than Tanzania and this has a number of advantages:
- Better medical facilities: you will find better hospitals with a larger population of qualified medical personnel. If you get critically ill you will find better medical attention in Kenya than Tanzania
- Better emergency facilities and first responders: there are a number of Kenyan companies that provide emergency medical attention and ambulance services and this infrastructure is less developed in Tanzania. This means that if you are going to have an emergency you are likely to get to a medical facility faster than any other in Tanzania.
- Better road and telecommunications infrastructure: Kenya has better telephone and road infrastructure than Tanzania. This means that in case you need to make emergency communication or travel urgently, you will have a better chance of accessing help in Kenya and Tanzania.
The use of English
English is widely used in Kenya as a primary means of communication and almost everyone in all major towns understands English and can communicate well enough to carry out a basic conversation with you.
Tanzania, on the other hand, uses Kiswahili as their main means of communication Who actually understand English and carry out a basic conversation are few.
The reason why this is important is the fact that if you are in an emergency you will need somebody who understands your language and can provide assistance quickly without the need for an interpreter. On this metric, Tanzania falls short.
Large Expat Community
With Kenya being the Headquarters of UNEP and being home to a large number of multinationals, there are a lot of foreigners living and working in Kenya.
A large community of foreigners in an African country generally points to a safer community. This is because higher standards are placed on matters of security.
You will also find it easier to blend into the rest of the foreign community
Wider Middle Class
Kenya also has a large middle class and there are many Kenyans who live in standards close to what you would expect from a middle class family in the west. This means that as a tourist, you will not be very conspicuously wealthy or better dressed than the rest of the people you will meet on the streets.
Security Mindedness
The fact that Kenya has had to deal with a lot of security challenges has made people more security-minded. Many Kenyans already know what they should do in case of an emergency and this may be of use to you as well since they may help you stay out of danger in case something bad actually happens.
Safari Safety
One final thing I would like to say about Kenya is that all of the national parks are well protected and policed by the Kenya Wildlife Service and the general police who work hard to ensure the safety of the tourists
Places you should avoid when both in Tanzania or Kenya
- Slums and Informal Settlements: Crime rates are higher here and there are few tourists visiting these places.
- Public transport Vehicles unless you are accompanied by a local.
- Very crowded streets (they increase the likelihood of pickpocketing.)
Conclusion
Having said that I would like to conclude by indicating that Tanzania is still hands-down the safer country to visit due to its greater political stability, and lower crime rates. Kenya is still a perfect country to visit, however, you will be exposed to greater risks than if you visited Tanzania.
A Final Word
As you prepare for your trip to Africa, I would like to recommend a few products that would help make your life easier.
- Shoes: I recommend that you check the Keen Hiking shoes. I have written an extensive article on the best shoes for an African safari and this shoe checks all the boxes for things you should look for when choosing a shoe for Africa. (Check out the Keen Hiking Shoes on Amazon)
- Camera: If you are not big on photography, I would not advise you to buy a brand new camera for your African Adventure. Good cameras can be expensive and buying a camera you will not use is not a good use of your limited budget. I advise that you rent a camera instead and Lens Rentals have a great Safari Camera Kit perfect for someone traveling to Africa. If you are thinking of getting into photography, then you can invest in a new camera but before you do, check out my pick for the best Safari Camera for a Beginner like Me
- Information About Africa: I have created a YouTube channel that focuses on things about traveling to Africa that only Africans can tell you about. Check out the channel for insights about African culture and things you can do as a traveler to optimize your trip. You should also visit TripAdvisor forum posts (Here is the Kenya Forum) and ask questions about your particular situation. There are a lot of people who are happy to help you out.
- Choosing a Safari Company: I have written an extensive article on how to choose a safari Company. You can. Check it out before starting the process of searching for a safari company.
- Consulting Session: If you have any questions you would like to ask me about Kenya, I would invite you to contact me for a 30-minute consultation session where I will share my knowledge about East Africa and share experiences that will help you make your trip easier. Reach out to me on email – antonynjoro@gmail.com
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