Security scare hits city meeting plan

“As of early February, the individuals planning to carry out the attacks were living in Somali communities in Kenya. We have no additional information regarding the possible individuals involved in the plot, timing, or method of the attack,” said the statement.

“Through their network of security agents, they have made contingency plans to thwart any possible terrorist plot that will target Nairobi City, including KICC and all the Hotels in which delegates will be hosted, and the US Embassy,” a local organizer told the ICANN community.

This is the third time the high profile conference has come under scrutiny by its organisers for security reasons.

The first time, delegates expressed their fears over the safety of the country after they received harsh advisories from their home countries warning against all but necessary travel to the country.

In January, rioters protesting over the eviction of radical Jamaican cleric Abdullah al-Faisal resulted in wide-spread damage to downtown Nairobi and disruption of business activities, causing the event organisers to consider a new venue within Nairobi.

Over the last two months, the government has mounted an aggressive campaign to assure conference organizers that the venue was safe enough for the over 1,500 delegates expected for the event.