President Kenyatta cancels LA trip after flight hitch

President Kenyatta had left Kenya on Thursday night for Dubai but was forced to return to Nairobi after his plane was unable to proceed over unsafe Yemen airspace/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 24 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has decided not to travel to the United States for the annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.

President Kenyatta had left Kenya on Thursday night for Dubai but was forced to return to Nairobi after his plane was unable to proceed over unsafe Yemen airspace .

He was due to catch a direct flight to the Los Angeles from Dubai.

“This is an addendum to the statement issued earlier regarding the President’s planned visit to the US for the annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles. The President will no longer be making the trip,” State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said in a statement Friday evening.

Esipisu had earlier said they were unable to fly over Yemen due to heightened military activity which has been ongoing for the past two months.

READ: Nations rush to evacuate citizens from Yemen

He stated that the President’s plane landed in Nairobi at 11.42pm Thursday night.

President Kenyatta had been scheduled to make a one-week visit to the United States where he was to attend the 2015 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.

State House had said President Kenyatta was to highlight the country’s position as one of the fastest growing economies and an attractive foreign investment destination at the conference.

Increased partnerships and foreign investment are some of the key areas of interest to Kenya.