Kenyans ridicule US Embassy for suspending posts over government shutdown

United States Embassy in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Kenyans has flooded the United States Embassy’s X account with sarcasm and disbelief after the mission announced it would suspend regular updates due to the shutdown of the federal government in Washington.

The embassy said on September 30, that its social media account would only post urgent safety and security alerts until full operations resume.

The move followed a lapse in federal appropriations after the US Senate failed to pass a funding bill.

“Due to the lapse in appropriations, this X account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information,” said the US Embassy in Kenya.

The US Embassy in Zambia issued a similar statement, adding that scheduled passport and visa transit services would continue “as the situation permits.”

The US Embassy in India also confirmed it would suspend non-essential updates, stating that only emergency alerts would be posted while visa and passport services continue where possible.

The announcements triggered a wave of online reactions in Kenya, with users questioning how a diplomatic mission in Nairobi could be affected by budget decisions in Washington.

“You don’t need funding to update X account,” said Raymond Matata.

“Data bundles ndio shida ama? Wekeni PayBill,” said a user under the name Babu Owino Battalion.

Others mocked the embassy’s phrasing, linking it to everyday Kenyan struggles.

“Telling my boys I can’t buy chipo mwitu and smocha today because I have a ‘lapse in appropriations,’” said @drizzzzzzzzzzy1.

Some questioned the embassy’s visa fee structure, suggesting that rejected applications should cover operational costs.

“Is the fee we pay for a rejected visa not adequate?” asked Info Ninja.

The shutdown has affected more than 30 countries globally, freezing United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programmes and halting embassy communications.

 In Kenya, thousands of workers funded under US aid programmes face job losses and stalled projects.

“So, you also feeling the pain that majority of Kenyans who worked under USAID are going through? Maajabu hii sasa,” noted Tonie.

The White House Office of Management and Budget ordered federal agencies to activate contingency plans after the Senate’s failure to pass a clean funding resolution.

 Embassy officials have not confirmed when full services will resume.