Since 2012 Kenya (along with a host of other countries) has been fighting a Muslim terrorist group called Al Shabaab. While the government has, for the most part, been somewhat successful in its attempts, Al Shabaab still maintains an iron grip on a large rural area of the country where they impose a brutal form of Sharia law on the population. Throughout this entire war, there have been NGOs and volunteer services in the country working to alleviate the struggles of the civilian population caught between the warring government and terrorist forces. Groups such as the Peace Corps work to improve infrastructure and the food situation while also trying to avoid falling into the crosshairs.

Unfortunately, due to the increasing security concerns and the danger that the volunteers face on a daily basis, the Peace Corps has had to stop all projects in the country and withdraw all staff until Kenya is safer. The Corps is pulling over 50 people from all parts of the country who were involved in all sorts of infrastructure and aid projects. As the security situation continues to get worse, more and more groups such as the Peace Corps will be forced to withdraw due to safety concerns. This makes Kenyan security efforts all the more important as many of the NGOs in the country are supplying necessary services that the government can’t provide.

If you’d like to read more, the link is below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/world/africa/kenya-peace-corps-halts-its-programs.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss