Tillerson feeling better, will resume work in Kenya after canceling Saturday events

March 10, 2018

President Uhuru Kenyata Met and held a fruitful discussion with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at State House

By Faith Karimi and Elise Labott, CNN

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will resume his normal schedule on Sunday after canceling his Saturday schedule of events 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.

“The Secretary is feeling better and will resume his normal schedule tomorrow,” Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steve Goldstein told the pool reporters traveling with the secretary.

He had been feeling unwell after long days working on major issues such as North Korea, Goldstein said earlier.

Tillerson’s trip coincided with a White House announcement that President Donald Trump has accepted an offer to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after both leaders spent the past few months ridiculing each other.

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

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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 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.”

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