Rex Tillerson cancels day’s events in Kenya over illness

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson canceled his public schedule in Kenya on Saturday due to illness.

Tillerson arrived in Nairobi on Friday as part of a five-nation tour of Africa that includes Ethiopia, Chad, Nigeria and Djibouti.

He is feeling unwell after long days working on major issues such as North Korea, said Steve Goldstein, the undersecretary of state.

Some of the events planned for Saturday in the capital of Nairobi will go on without him, but others may be rescheduled for later in the trip.

Events that will be rescheduled include a stop at the site of the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Goldstein said, adding that an updated schedule will be released later.

Tillerson’s planned schedule for Saturday also included a site visit to PEPFAR, a US program that works to fight AIDS in the continent. He also planned to meet US Embassy staff, and attend a working lunch with Monica Juma, the nation’s minister for foreign affairs.

Tillerson arrived in Nairobi on Friday, and met with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“Kenya is a country of tremendous opportunity,” he said at a news conference after his arrival. “With a fast-growing GDP … a vibrant culture of entrepreneurship, and a regional economic leader, we are eager to find more ways to work with you.”

He plans to spend another day in Nairobi before heading to Chad and Nigeria on Monday and Tuesday.

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