US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hinted at the possibility of visiting Kenya soon, just a month after he cancelled his earlier trip to Nairobi. This came during talks between Rubio and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in Washington, DC, on Thursday, May 8.
Mudavadi, who also serves as the Foreign Affairs CS, released a statement disclosing that Rubio expressed his desire to visit Kenya following their meeting.
“While in Washington, DC, I held a high-level meeting with the US Secretary of State, Senator Rubio, where we discussed regional peace and security, expanded trade and investment, and deepened diplomatic engagement,” Mudavadi said.
The CS added, “He expressed interest in visiting Kenya to further strengthen our strategic partnership.”
This comes weeks after reports emerged that Rubio had cancelled a scheduled visit to Kenya, which would have marked his first visit to Africa since President Donald Trump’s election in November 2024.
No official reason was given for the cancellation of Rubio's visit. However, there were reports that President William Ruto’s visit to China around the same time and Nairobi’s overall warm relations with Beijing may have informed Rubio's decision.
Claims of graft within the Kenya Kwanza government and Kenya's controversial ties with rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan are also said to have led to the cancellation of the visit by the US government official.
Rubio was expected to arrive in Nairobi on April 28 as part of his first diplomatic tour of Africa. He was also expected to visit Ethiopia before the plans were called off at the eleventh hour.
A visit by Rubio to Kenya would have significant diplomatic, economic, and security impact. In terms of diplomacy, the visit would strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations and a recalibration of the US-Africa policy, as well as a show of soft power and influence by the Americans.
Economically, it would represent a boost in the Kenya-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is currently stalled, and hope in activating US-funded programmes and promoting existing development partnerships between Kenya and the US.
It would also enhance security cooperation, with the US being a major player in the war against insurgents in Kenya and the East African region. Also, the US has an interest in the region’s broader stability, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Kenya is involved in conflict resolution efforts.
Rubio’s visit could also be symbolic in the country’s current political landscape, with the US known to wield significant influence in local politics and governance efforts.
Mudavadi is currently in Washington following an official invitation by the US government. The CS noted that the visit would strengthen the long-standing ties between Kenya and the US. This also marked the first high-level meeting between Kenya and the US since Trump took office in January.
