US Vice President JD Vance calls off planned visit to Kenya

US Vice President J.D. Vance has called off a planned visit to Kenya, the Kenyan government said on Monday, after President Donald Trump cancelled the U.S. delegation’s attendance at a G20 summit in South Africa that was to precede the trip.

The cancellation of the high-level diplomatic mission underscores how a single foreign policy decision in Washington can ripple across a continent, affecting key allies. Vance was scheduled to travel to Nairobi after the November 22-23 G20 summit in Johannesburg, a trip intended to reinforce ties with one of Washington’s closest African partners on trade and security.

The visit was scrapped after Trump announced on Friday that no U.S. officials would attend the G20 summit, citing allegations of human rights abuses by South Africa against its white Afrikaner minority—claims that the South African government has repeatedly denied.

Direct Impact on Kenya Trip

In a statement, Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it had been notified of the cancellation. “Since the Vice President was to have a roundtrip that would have culminated with his visit to Kenya after the G20 Summit in South Africa, his trip has now become untenable,” said Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi.

He was quick to add that the decision was unrelated to the U.S.-Kenya relationship, noting Trump’s statement was “specific to South Africa, not Kenya.”

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’oei provided a similar explanation, telling Reuters that “the planned trip to Kenya is likely to be impacted as the two visits were related: G20, then Nairobi.”

Setback for Bilateral Agenda

The cancellation is a diplomatic setback for President William Ruto’s administration, which had hoped to use Vance’s visit to advance ongoing talks on a strategic trade deal and cooperation on regional security.

Kenya was designated a major non-NATO ally by the previous administration of President Joe Biden in 2024, a status that grants strategic and economic privileges. President Ruto has visited the White House twice, including a state visit in May 2024 that elevated the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.

Despite the cancellation, Kenyan officials sought to project confidence. Mudavadi emphasised that the “strong and enduring ties between our two nations” would not be affected. A senior Kenyan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government remains confident the visit will be rescheduled at a later date.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.