UK ends flight ban to Kenyan capital

The US and Britain have pressurised Kenya to pass an anti-terrorism law

A ban had been imposed on flights to the city, along with the tourist resort of Mombasa, in May following intelligence that British planes could be a terrorist target.

The announcement followed the publication of an anti-terrorism bill by the Kenyan Government - the UK precondition for lifting its ban.

"Following an improvement in the security situation, and close co-operation with the Kenyan authorities, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's warning against inessential travel in Kenya and the Department for Transport's ban on UK airline services to Nairobi have been removed with immediate effect," a spokesperson said.

Life imprisonment

The draft legislation proposes life imprisonment for anyone committing terrorist acts and a 10-year jail term for those suspected to be in possession of weapons of mass destruction.

State-run Kenyan television said that 18 opposition MPs from the Kenyan African National Union (Kanu) would not support the bill.

The legislators were quoted as saying that the document was draconian, unconstitutional and infringed on fundamental civil rights.

On Monday, the United States reopened its embassy, which had been closed due to fears of a terror attack.

Conditions

In addition to the passing of an anti-terrorism bill, the US and Britain have asked the Kenyan authorities to cancel all current airport staff passes and re-issue them after careful screening of all staff members.

Airport fences must be also re-enforced and security patrols inside and outside the fences increased.

The US believes al-Qaeda was behind terror attacks in Kenya

France, Germany and Belgium also imposed travel advisories on Kenya following the terror warnings, but they have since been withdrawn.

Four Kenyans were charged on Tuesday this week with murder over the bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel near Mombasa last November which killed at least 16 people.

The US believes Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network was behind the blast.

Last week the US ambassador to Kenya Johnnie Carson, publicly criticised Kenya's anti-terrorism efforts, saying there had not been a single arrest or conviction since the 1998 car bomb attack on the US embassy in the capital Nairobi.

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