Kenya’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s planned visit to Nairobi has been canceled following President Donald Trump’s decision to boycott the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi confirmed in a statement that Washington had notified Nairobi of the cancellation, citing the vice president’s original plan to attend the G20 meetings before traveling to Kenya later this month.
“The Government of Kenya trusts that this development will not affect the strength of our bilateral relations,” Mudavadi said, noting that the strategic partnership between the two countries covers trade, security, education, health and diaspora affairs.
Vance’s visit would have been the first by a senior U.S. official since Trump’s re-election, and was expected to reaffirm cooperation on regional stability and economic growth.
The move follows Trump’s announcement on his Truth Social platform that the United States would not participate in the G20 summit, accusing South Africa of “human rights violations against white farmers.”
The summit, scheduled for Nov. 22–23 in Johannesburg, was set to gather global leaders under the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.” Analysts say the decision underscores growing diplomatic tension between Washington and Pretoria, which has increasingly aligned itself with the BRICS bloc and taken positions at odds with U.S. foreign policy.
