Kenya condemns Saudi attacks as Yemen conflict threatens Red Sea trade

Kenya has condemned the latest missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, warning that the widening conflict could put civilians, critical infrastructure and vital international trade routes at greater risk.

In a statement issued on Friday, September 18, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs called for an immediate end to the hostilities and urged all sides to respect international humanitarian law.

“The Government of the Republic of Kenya condemns the escalating missile and drone attacks directed against the infrastructure facilities, civilian and sacred places in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and calls for the immediate cessation of the growing hostilities,” the ministry said.

But Nairobi's concern goes beyond the attacks themselves.

Kenya has also raised alarm over the security of commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, two waterways central to global trade and energy supplies.

The ministry called for merchant vessels to be protected and for attacks on commercial shipping to stop.

“We call for unimpeded maritime waterways, and the cessation of attacks against merchant and commercial vessels,” the ministry said.

Kenya added that it would continue working with the international community to support maritime security, legitimate trade and international peace.

Saudi-Houthi fighting intensifies

Kenya's statement comes as fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement has sharply intensified.

The latest escalation has seen Houthi drones and missiles target Saudi territory, while Saudi and allied forces have carried out strikes against Houthi positions inside Yemen.

On Thursday, a Houthi drone intercepted over Taif was destroyed, but debris fell in the city, killing a Yemeni resident and injuring two other people, according to Saudi authorities.

Saudi officials said the injured included a Saudi woman and a Pakistani resident. Buildings and vehicles were also damaged.

The incident was the first reported death in Saudi Arabia during the latest wave of Houthi attacks, according to regional reporting.

Saudi authorities had also reported the interception of another drone south of Makkah earlier in the week before it entered the holy city's restricted airspace. The Houthis have denied that they intended to target Makkah.

The competing claims underline the difficulty of independently verifying the intended targets of individual attacks.

Why Kenya is watching the Red Sea

The security situation has implications well beyond Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is a major route for international shipping. Recent Houthi advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast have increased concern over access to the waterway.

The wider regional conflict has also put pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, another critical energy route.

Reuters reported on Friday that shipping traffic through Hormuz had fallen well below its recent average, while traffic through Bab el-Mandeb was also below its 10-day average.

For countries such as Kenya, disruptions on these routes can have consequences through shipping costs, energy markets and the movement of imported goods.

Kenya's foreign ministry therefore framed the issue as one of international economic and energy security, rather than solely a dispute between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

Concern over Kenyans in Saudi Arabia

Nairobi has also highlighted the safety of Kenyans living and working in Saudi Arabia.

The government expressed concern for Kenyan nationals in the Kingdom as well as pilgrims travelling to Makkah and Madinah.

Saudi Arabia hosts a significant Kenyan diaspora, while the Two Holy Mosques draw Kenyan Muslims undertaking Hajj and Umrah.

The concern comes as security alerts have been issued in several Saudi cities amid the latest attacks. Saudi Civil Defence recently reported that the immediate danger had passed in cities including Jeddah, Abha, Jazan, AlUla, Taif and Yanbu following earlier alerts.

Yemen's humanitarian crisis is worsening

The escalation is also taking a heavy toll inside Yemen.

The United Nations migration agency said on Friday that at least 112,000 people had been displaced inside Yemen over the previous two weeks, while nearly 3,000 others had crossed the Red Sea by boat to Djibouti.

The displacement follows fighting along Yemen's western coast, where Houthi forces have made territorial gains and come closer to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway.

Saudi and Yemeni forces have responded with airstrikes on Houthi positions.

The fighting has added another layer to Yemen's long-running humanitarian crisis, with civilians caught between competing military campaigns.

Kenya calls for a political solution

Rather than calling for further military action, Nairobi has urged the parties to return to diplomacy.

Kenya called for compliance with international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Yemen and the Houthi conflict.

It also backed a Yemeni-led political process under UN auspices, arguing that a negotiated settlement remains necessary to restore lasting peace.

The government further reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Kenya's position places the immediate priority on ending attacks, protecting civilians and keeping international waterways open.

That message comes as the conflict threatens to spread its effects far beyond the battlefield — from Yemen and Saudi Arabia to shipping lanes, energy markets and the safety of foreign nationals across the region.

For Kenya, the concern is therefore not only what happens on the ground in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, but whether continued fighting begins to disrupt the trade routes on which countries far beyond the Middle East depend.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.