NAIROBI: Brushing aside concerns for his security, Pope Francis arrived in Kenya on Wednesday for his first-ever visit to Africa, including to Central African Republic, a country torn by fighting between Muslims and Christian.

Francis was received upon arrival at Nairobi’s airport by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nairobi Gov. Evans Kidero. Kenyan Cardinal Njue and a host of bishops also welcomed the pope amid singing by traditional dance groups.

Francis is also scheduled to visit Uganda and the Central African Republic, which will mark the first time a pope has flown into an active armed conflict. The Central African Republic, or CAR, has been bloodied by a 2-year-old spiral of sectarian violence.

Large crowds held back by hundreds of police gathered along the road from the airport and cheered as Francis’ motorcade passed by.

After greeting Kenyatta, Francis was presented with a bouquet of flowers by a boy and a girl and traditional dancers, some dressed in Maasai regalia. Later, Francis was welcomed by an honor guard at the State House and a 21-gun salute.

The pope wants to bring a message of peace and reconciliation to parts of Africa torn by extremist violence, but security concerns are so high that he might be forced to make changes to his itinerary for the final leg of the trip.

On the eve of the departure, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, insisted that there were no new worrisome threats and that the pope planned to carry on with his scheduled program.

But in a sign that the Vatican was on alert, Francis’ own chief bodyguard made a last-minute visit to CAR’s capital, Bangui, this week to get the latest security updates, and will only meet up with the pope once he lands in Nairobi.