Tuesday, June 02, 2026 - The United States Government is set to significantly reduce the number of embassies in Africa that process visa applications, a move expected to affect thousands of travellers across the continent.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the U.S. State
Department plans to cut visa‑processing embassies from nearly 50 to just 20 in
the coming weeks.
The directive, approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
was communicated to American diplomats and consular chiefs during a conference
call held last Friday.
While implementation could begin as early as June, the exact
date has not been confirmed.
Nairobi has been selected as one of the regional hubs,
positioning Kenya as a key centre for visa services in East Africa.
Other hubs include Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town,
Johannesburg, Dakar, Dar‑es‑Salaam, Djibouti City, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa,
Lagos, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Port Louis, Praia and Yaounde.
The changes mean applicants in countries whose embassies
lose visa‑processing functions will need to travel to one of the designated
hubs to submit applications, attend interviews or complete immigration
procedures.
While visa services will be scaled back in non‑hub
countries, affected embassies will remain operational but focus mainly on
assisting American citizens.
These functions include passport renewals, emergency
consular support, diplomatic visa processing and services tied to special
national interest cases.
The restructuring comes amid broader efforts by President
Donald Trump’s administration to tighten immigration controls and reduce
migrant flows into the U.S.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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