Nairobi – The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the cancellation of US Vice President J.D. Vance’s planned visit to Nairobi. This decision follows President Donald Trump’s directive that no US officials participate in the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kenyan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi stated in an official release that Washington informed his government of the cancellation. The visit, initially scheduled for later this month, was deemed unfeasible due to its direct link to Vance’s participation in the G20 summit.
“The Kenyan government is confident that this development will not affect the strong bilateral relations between our two countries,” Mudavadi affirmed. He emphasized the strategic partnership between Nairobi and Washington, encompassing trade and investment, security cooperation, education, health, and diaspora issues.
Vice President Vance was initially slated to lead the US delegation to the G20 summit on November 22nd and 23rd, followed by a visit to Nairobi. This would have marked the first visit by a high-ranking US administration official since President Trump’s re-election.
Africa Intelligence magazine previously reported on the planned visit on October 25th, though details of the itinerary were not disclosed. However, President Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, his refusal to participate in the summit, citing what he described as “human rights abuses against white farmers in South Africa.” This led to the withdrawal of the US delegation and, consequently, the cancellation of Vance’s visit to Kenya.
The cancellation underscores growing tensions between the Trump administration and South Africa, potentially impacting diplomatic relations across the African continent. The situation remains fluid, and further developments are expected.
