Kenya’s planned visit by U.S. Vice President JD Vance has been officially cancelled, the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, confirmed in a statement. The cancellation follows orders from President Donald Trump, who directed that no U.S. officials would attend the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Vance’s trip to Kenya was contingent upon his attendance at the G20 Summit. With the U.S. delegation now pulled out, the visit is no longer feasible. “The Government of the Republic of Kenya…has been informed by the Government of the United States of America of the cancellation of the planned visit to Kenya by Vice President JD Vance, which was scheduled to take place later this month,” Mudavadi stated.
Despite the cancellation, Mudavadi emphasized that U.S.-Kenya relations remain strong. The two nations have collaborated extensively on trade and investment, security, education, health, and diaspora engagement. “Kenya values its longstanding and strategic partnership with the United States, which continues to span key areas of mutual interest…The Government remains confident that this development will not affect the strong and enduring ties between our two nations,” he added.
Vance’s visit would have marked the first official visit to Kenya by a high-ranking U.S. Executive member since Trump’s second term began. His itinerary had not yet been released, but he was expected in Nairobi following the G20 Summit, scheduled from November 22 to November 23.
President Trump, while confirming the G20 pullout, criticized South Africa over what he described as mistreatment of its white minority population. On Truth Social, he called the summit location “a total disgrace,” citing alleged human rights abuses against white farmers.
The cancellation comes as a diplomatic setback for Kenya, but officials remain optimistic that it will not affect the broader partnership with the United States.
