some disturbing news this afternoon:
3 tourists (one berlin musician and one other man plus one dutch women) were arrested prior to their departure for europe from nairobi intl. airport.
the allegations:
they were unlawfully carrying photographs from "officially important buildings".
the berlin musician is married to a kenya women and he is a close friend of odinga's.

here is an article from www.iol.co.za

Three foreigners detained on terror suspicion

January 18 2008 at 05:13PM

Nairobi - Kenyan police detained three foreign nationals, including a German man and a Dutch woman, at Nairobi airport on suspicion of involvement in terrorism activities, a spokesperson said on Friday.

Andrej Hermlin, a German passport holder, Fleur Van Dissel, a Dutch passport holder and Gerd Uwe, whose nationality was not released, were arrested overnight on "suspicion of terrorist activities," national police spokesman Eric Kiraithe told reporters.

He said they had declared themselves as journalists when they entered Kenya, but had "been conducting themselves in a suspicious manner."

"Police are carrying out investigations to determine the next course of action," Kiraithe said.

Photographs and video recordings of "vital installations" were recovered from the trio, he said, without elaborating.

He added that the foreigners, who arrived in the country before the disputed December 27 elections, changed the vehicles they were travelling in three times during the short journey between downtown Nairobi and the airport.

iol.co.za
- Edited by pippa on 20.01.2008, 14:48 -

Pippa:

I read that story also and I wondered why these people would even have attempted taking pictures. I learned before my first trip that you never take a picture of a police station, goverment building, military unit, airport and other things. The fact that one gentleman was married to a Kenya makes one think he should have known about those rules.

They only learnt this from the western world! Try taking a picture of the British EMbassy or the American Embassy here in Kenya! You will end up behind bars on terrorism charges!! You can't even stop in front of these buildings, even if you are a british or american national!!
Ok, so he was a friend of Raila's but that doesn't suggest anything. WIth the increasing risk of terrorism the government has every right to protect itself, and if they don't allow such photography then people should respect it. Just like how the rest of the world is expected to do when visitng the western nations!!
By the way, I am not pro Raila or the govt!!

This situation happens every where. I think it is a general law in all countries.
I was in Srilanka in the forests for a while and decided to take a break and visit Candy. They had a very large religious ceremony on at the time with thousands of pilgrims. I was walking minding my own business with the camera around my neck; passed a police station and was taken and searched by 5 police in a closed room. My camera was stripped and I was sent off again. I did not once take a snap shot of any building as I know the rules very well having lived and travelled in various countries in Africa. I guess where there is tention - expect tension!
I must add that the police in Candy where very kind afterwards and apologised; one of the best places and countries I have been to - mainly because the people of Srilanka are wonderful.

jan, taz, nico
of course no one should take pictures from these buildings.............
i doubt that they even had taken pictures!

police did not catch them while taking pictures but found them when they were ready to leave the country????????????

sounds very strange to me!!!!!!!
by the way: i have never been searched by any police or customs when i departed a country!
the whole thing seems to me based on the fact that this guy is odinga's friend and that worries me!

Pippa:

Agree with you 100%. If they hadn't been working with Odinga they would never have been stopped and arrested.

Taz: You are right, the government does have a right to protect itself. The examples you mentioned are ones that have already been terrorized and one can understand the nervousness about that.

Perhaps I am naive, but how does it hurt to take a picture of your friends waiting to fly out in an airport? At Wilson, a group wanted a picture of their friends ready to fly to Amboseli and they were stopped by the authorities of taking pictures of one another simply because it was in an airport waiting room. Some times these regulations are carried a bit too far.