NAIROBI — The United States Embassy in Nairobi has announced it will scale back its public communications, citing the shutdown of the US government in Washington.
In a notice shared on its social media pages on Tuesday, the mission said routine updates would stop until funding is restored. Only urgent alerts on safety and security will continue.
“Due to the lapse in appropriations, this Instagram account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information,” the embassy said in a statement.
The announcement comes as federal agencies across the United States and abroad begin to feel the impact of the funding lapse, which has forced thousands of government workers to scale back or pause operations.
Despite the cutback, the embassy assured Kenyans and other foreign nationals that essential services would remain available. Passport and visa processing will continue “as the situation permits,” the statement noted. Applicants were advised to monitor the State Department’s official website for updates.
The shutdown, the first since 2018–2019, followed the Senate’s failure to pass a last-minute spending bill on Tuesday. Republicans, who hold 53 seats, had pushed for a “clean” continuing resolution to extend government funding. They fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance the measure without support from Democrats.
The lapse in appropriations has become a recurring feature of American politics. During his first term, Donald Trump oversaw three shutdowns, including the longest in US history — 35 days. Previous presidents have also wrestled with deadlocks: Bill Clinton’s 1995 impasse stretched 21 days, Barack Obama’s 2013 standoff lasted 16, and Ronald Reagan presided over at least eight during the 1980s.
For now, the embassy in Nairobi says its priority is to ensure clear communication during emergencies. But the longer the shutdown continues, the more uncertainty grows for those who depend on US services abroad.
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