US Vice President JD Vance’s planned visit to Kenya has been cancelled, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has confirmed.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 10, 2025, the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said the decision was communicated by the US government.
The United States Vice President was scheduled to visit Nairobi later this month.
“The Government of the Republic of Kenya, through the office of H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, has been informed by the Government of the United States of America of the cancellation of the planned visit to Kenya by the Vice President, His Excellency JD Vance,” the statement read.
Vice President Vance was expected to lead the US delegation to the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, before proceeding to Kenya.
However, the trip was cancelled following a directive by US President Donald Trump barring American officials from attending the Johannesburg summit.
“The cancellation follows the recent decision by President Donald Trump directing that American officials shall not attend the forthcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Vice President Vance was to lead the United States delegation before proceeding to Nairobi,” the statement said.
The visit was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen diplomatic and economic cooperation between Kenya and the United States.
Despite the cancellation, the Kenyan government reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the close and strategic relationship between the two countries.
“Kenya values its longstanding and strategic partnership with the United States, which continues to span key areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, security cooperation, education, health, and diaspora engagement,” the statement added.
The Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary expressed confidence that the cancellation would not affect bilateral relations.
“The Government remains confident that this development will not affect the strong and enduring ties between our two nations,” said Jacob Ng’etich, Director of Press Service at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
The two nations have enjoyed decades of cooperation, with the United States being one of Kenya’s largest development and security partners.
The statement emphasized that Kenya looks forward to continued engagement with the US on shared priorities, despite the change in travel plans.
