US VP Vance expected in Kenya in November
US VP Vance expected in Kenya in November
United States Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Kenya at the end of November, 2025 in what will be the first visit by a senior American official since President Donald Trump assumed office.
The trip is expected to focus on trade, security cooperation, and diplomatic relations between Nairobi and Washington, officials said.
The visit, which will likely follow the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, comes amid uncertainty over the renewal of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and ongoing discussions on Kenya’s future involvement in the Haiti peacekeeping mission.
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.
Kenya is not part of the G20 and so Vance will likely fly to Kenya after the conclusion of the summit.
A topic expected to be on the agenda is the state of the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), which expired on September 30, 2025.
It is however in place on a temporary basis.
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.
President William 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.
After the expiry of Kenya’s mandate in the mission in October, 2025, 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.
The US has since sent armored personnel carriers to Haiti to boost operations there.
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.