Travel safety comparison · Africa
Kenya vs Rwanda: safety comparison
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Kenya vs Rwanda: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Rwanda carries a materially lower safety risk than Kenya on the composite Warnely score: 27/100 against 50/100, a gap of 23 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Rwanda scores 2/5 against Kenya's 4/5.
| 🇰🇪Kenya | 🇷🇼Rwanda | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 50 / 100 | 27 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Increased Caution | Exercise Normal Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #127 | #91 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | legal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | KES | RWF |
Kenya vs Rwanda: common questions
Is Kenya or Rwanda safer to visit?
Rwanda has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 27/100 vs 50/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Kenya or Rwanda safer for solo female travellers?
Kenya is rated Exercise Caution for women's safety; Rwanda is rated Exercise Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Kenya and Rwanda?
Kenya: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Rwanda: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).