Kenya among dangerous countries globally

By Robert Mutasi 

A recent study conducted by Insider and publicized by Yahoo Finance has placed Kenya within the 30 most dangerous nations worldwide for the year 2023, holding the 25th spot.

This puts it just behind South Sudan, a nation currently grappling with years of civil unrest, which occupies the 27th position.

The research evaluated every nation based on three key factors: their standing in the Global Peace Index, the Global Terrorism Index, and the typical homicide rate.

Kenya's terrorism index was notably high, ranking 20th, while it sat at 34th in the global peace index.

Interestingly, Kenya's homicide rate per capita was relatively lower than most countries that figured in the top 30, with a ranking of 117.

The report indicated a surge in fatalities due to terrorist activities, primarily instigated by Al-Shabaab, in Kenya.

However, the majority of these attacks took place in Somalia.

Among the East African countries listed, Kenya surpassed only the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was considered the second most perilous nation globally after Nigeria.

The list also included other East African nations such as Burundi at 28th and South Sudan at 27th position.

A striking observation was the predominance of African countries in the top 30, occupying 16 spots. 

Mali and Somalia stood at third and fifth positions respectively, the latter mainly due to the ongoing threat from Al Shabaab.

In response to these alarming figures, Kenya is amplifying its efforts to combat terrorism and extremism to ensure national security.

It's worth noting that Kenyan forces are currently deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the mission of restoring peace. 

In an analogous initiative, Kenya has committed to sending law enforcement officers to Haiti to help reestablish stability, a nation presently under gang control.