The US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman visited Kisumu weeks after the consulate in Nairobi issued an advisory to its citizens.
On Tuesday, August 30, Whitman announced that Kisumu County would be her first stop in her national visit to all devolved units across the county.
She was hosted by the county governor, Prof Anyang' Nyong'o, who was recently sworn into office for his second and final term.
The envoy met a delegation from the county government as well as her colleagues deployed in the county to foresee the US programs in the county.
"Happy to fly to Kisumu this morning – my first county visit in Kenya! Looking forward to a great day meeting local leaders, and U.S. Embassy staff leading critical U.S programs and investments," Whitman noted.
In addition, the emissary congratulated Nyong'o for retaining his seat in the recently-concluded General Elections. She further heaped praises on Kenya's third-largest city
"Kisumu is a beautiful city and host to numerous U.S. investments, American businesses, U.S. citizens and embassy programs," Whitman remarked.
Her visit comes barely a month after a backlash from the county residents after the 'abundance of caution' advisory published on August 2.
Subsequently, the Embassy issued a statement, clarifying that the advisory was not in bad faith and was just protocol when their host nations went to the ballot.
"Alerts of this nature to American citizens are common ahead of elections throughout the world, and the United States has no information to suggest the security situation in Kisumu, or in any other parts of Kenya, have been adversely affected by election preparations," the US stated.
In his response Governor Nyong'o dismissed the alert, and assured all expatriates working and residing in the city that peace would prevail before, during and after the August 9 election.
"We welcome the US Embassy's clarification on the alert. We would like to reassure our American brothers and sisters in Kisumu that we are alive to the issued raised by the advisory," read the statement in part.
