Kenya’s tourism authorities have been keen to insist that travel to the country remains safe despite the recent killing of a British man and the kidnapping of his wife. Judith and David Tebbutt were holidaying at a luxury resort close to the border with Somalia when they were attacked by a gang during the night.

Some initial reports claimed that the couple were staying on Lamu Island which is a popular resort 55km to the south of the Kiwayu Safari Resort where the pair were actually staying. Both the Association of British Travel Agents and the Kenyan tourist board have issued statements assuring those who have booked travel to Lamu that it remains safe.

Although not far from the island, Kiwayu is remote and can only be reached in a small plane or after a two-and-a-half hour boat trip. Lamu’s reputation as a place to visit after a safari has grown in the past few years and it is advertised as a more relaxing destination than Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, or Mombasa.

The Ministry of Tourism in Kenya has condemned the attack and is seeking to reassure visitors that security for those travelling to Kenya remained extremely important. The authority added that everything possible was now being done to make sure those responsible for the crime were found and brought to justice. An extensive manhunt is now reportedly underway.

ABTA said that all the major safari areas remained extremely safe as do the popular Indian Ocean resorts.