United States Vice President JD Vance is set to visit Kenya at the end of November, marking the first official visit by a high-ranking member of the US Executive since President Donald Trump came into power.
In a report by Africa Intelligence, the second in command of the global superpower is expected in Kenya soon, as Washington seeks to solidify its relationship with Nairobi.
However, details of Vance’s itinerary have not yet been made publicly available. He is, however, expected to meet with President William Ruto and other senior government officials during his trip.
The VP’s visit to Kenya could be tied to his attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit in South Africa, which is set to be the first in Africa.
The summit will take place from November 22 to November 23, with key focus areas set to be inclusive and sustainable development, climate change and energy transition, and global financial reform.
Other topics expected to be discussed in Johannesburg are digital transformation and innovation, peace, security and multilateral cooperation, as well as health systems and pandemic preparedness.
It is important to note that Kenya is not part of the G20, so Vance will likely come to Kenya after the conclusion of the summit.
Currently, the US-Kenya relationship is under scrutiny, especially with the America-first policy by President Donald Trump, resulting in envoys of the two nations walking on a diplomatic tightrope to secure key bilateral ties between the two nations.
A topic expected to be on the agenda is the state of the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), which expired on September 30 this year. The lapse of the trade agreement, of which Kenya was a beneficiary, sparked fears of massive job losses and reduced revenues. This could severely impact Kenya’s economy, with an extension not yet a guarantee.
Ruto has previously revealed that a one-year extension has been secured, but the US government is yet to officially confirm this. The fate of AGOA, which exempted key exports such as textiles, tea and coffee from tariffs, is in the hands of the US Congress, as it is the only organ that can approve an extension.
Key to this would be extended lobbying by Kenya to the US Congress, with the support of Trump seen as crucial. A physical meeting with his deputy would go a long way in getting an extension, with Congress having till the end of the year to make a decision.
Aside from AGOA, another potential area of discussion is the Haiti mission, which was recently upgraded to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF). For the past year and a half, Kenyan police officers led the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in the Caribbean nation, with the US supporting the mission.
Upon the expiry of Kenya’s mandate in the mission in October, the US backed a resolution seeking to transform it into a UN peacekeeping mission, guaranteeing increased funding and direct support from the UN.
Kenya’s role in the mission after its expansion, but Ruto had previously declared the country’s forces would only rejoin the mission if they were assured of increased funding and more resources.
A meeting with JD Vance could iron out such details, and potentially lead to the signing of an agreement that could maybe result in Kenya’s extended stay in Haiti.
Even so, official communication from the Kenyan government is yet to be released regarding Vance’s looming visit. Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to visit Kenya as part of his African tour, but had to cancel his trip at the last minute.
