Britons wed in Kenya, defying 'misleading media'

Kiserian, Kenya: While many tourists were cancelling trips to Kenya, fearful of being caught up in its deadly political crisis, Tina and Craig Washbrook were planning their wedding there.

Determined to prove that a country they adored was still safe to visit, despite the television news images of death and destruction, they exchanged vows in the picturesque Ngong Hills on Saturday.

"I have come to Kenya because it is a country that I really love, and the people here are my friends," the bride told revellers and reporters at a resort in Kiserian, just west of the capital Nairobi.

Moments earlier, she had arrived at the ceremony with her parents in a white helicopter as Maasai tribesmen in traditional red robes looked on.

Among the partygoers were 17 Britons, most of them from the couple's small village of North Frodingham in the northern county Yorkshire, most of them visiting Kenya for the first time.

Parts of the country have been convulsed by riots and ethnic attacks since a disputed election on December 27. More than 1,000 people have been killed and 300,000 displaced.

But most areas remain peaceful, and the few holidaymakers who have ventured here during recent weeks have had no problems.

Since arriving earlier this month, the Washbrooks' friends have toured three national parks, visited elephant and giraffe sanctuaries and enjoyed a hot air balloon ride. International media coverage has been misleading, they said.