- The US president Donald Trump’s administration suspended visa processing for 75 countries globally, including African nations
- In the East African Community (EAC) region, only Kenya and Burundi were spared in the latest immigration crackdown
- Geopolitical economist Aly-Khan Satchu explained why the US Department of State spared Nairobi, but issued a warning
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
The US president Donald Trump’s administration has suspended the processing and issuance of visas for nationals of 26 African countries.
Source: Facebook
The suspension took effect on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in the latest immigration crackdown.
Why did the US suspend visa issuance for African countries?
The US Department of State explained that the move aims to prevent citizens from high-risk countries from entering the US and posing a security risk.
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“President Trump has made clear that immigrants must be financially self-sufficient and not be a financial burden to Americans. The Department of State is undergoing a full review of all policies, regulations, and guidance to ensure that immigrants from these high-risk countries do not utilise welfare in the United States or become a public charge.
Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State is pausing all visa issuances to immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of the following countries,” it announced.
Besides African countries, the US suspended visa processing for nationals of 49 other countries across the world, bringing the total number of nations to 75.
Which African countries were hit by the visa suspension?
African countries in the list are Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria and the Republic of the Congo.
Others are Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda.
Non-immigrant, business, and short-term visitor visas were not suspended.
Kenya and Burundi were spared in the East African Community (EAC) region.
Source: Facebook
Why was Kenya spared?
Geopolitical economist Aly-Khan Satchu opined that the Trump administration was lenient on Kenya due to the two countries’ strong bilateral relations.
However, he warned that the favour would not come for free and could come with concessions.
“Clearly, the signals out of Washington, the tariff regime and now a relatively benign visa regime, amongst others, indicate Washington is keen to keep Nairobi on side, and that is a privileged position. There is always a quid pro quo in these high-level bargains, and in that regard, I am not sure if we have promised something which is not in the public domain,” he told TUKO.co.ke in an exclusive interview.
Why did the US end TPS for Somalia?
In other news, Somali nationals will no longer be granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), according to US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.
The move follows Trump’s recent criticism of Somali immigrants in public and during a Cabinet meeting.
TPS-holding Somali citizens are required to leave the country by Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
