The Surprising Places Pope Francis Will Visit This Week

Pope Francis landed in Kenya this morning to kick off his first visit to Africa as pontiff. The globe-trotting pope, who wrapped up his first visit to the U.S. earlier this fall, will also make stops in Uganda and Central African Republic as part of the six-day trip. His itinerary reportedly includes visits to a slum in Nairobi, a mosque, and a refugee camp. Addressing corruption, poverty, and religious conflict are expected to be key themes of the visit, according to the BBC.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 170 million Catholics — roughly 20% of the population, according to the Pew Research Center. Scores of Kenyans welcomed Francis in person and on Twitter.

Kenya has reportedly ramped up security ahead of the visit. Those concerns are heightened by attacks by extremists affiliated with Al-Qaida's East Africa branch, the Shebab, in recent years, including the April assault on a university that left more than 140 dead.

But the pope, who is known for his love of interacting with the public, isn't too concerned about his safety. He said on the plane that he's "more worried about the mosquitoes," according to Agence France-Presse.