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President Barack Obama's Kenya visit details 'leaked' in airline email

Kenyan Airways official reportedly sent times Nairobi's airports would be closed for US president's arrival and departure to airline staff and customers

Alexander Sehmer
Wednesday 22 July 2015 19:05 BST
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The exact flight times of Airforce One are usually kept secret
The exact flight times of Airforce One are usually kept secret

US Secret Service agents are facing a possible security breach over Barack Obama's planned visit to Kenya after a Kenyan Airways official apparently emailed out details of the president's schedule.

Mr Obama is due to travel to Nairobi over the weekend where he will attend an international entrepreneurship conference.

The trip has been long-heralded, but the exact flight times of Airforce One are usually kept secret.

According to Fox News, an email sent by an official with the national carrier to staff and aircraft operators at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta and Wilson airports, as well as to airline customers, gave details of the exact times when the airports would be closed.

The email stated "this corresponds to the expected arrival and departure time for President Obama", the report said.

The Westgate shopping centre has been closed since an attack by al-Shabab in September 2013

Fox says the content of the email, dated 13 July, was then later forwarded by a South African travel agent to its customers under the subject line "Info on Obama visit to Kenya".

Kenya Airways did not respond to requests for comment from The Independent.

Kenya has been gearing up for the US president's trip with US and Kenyan flags lining the road leading from Jomo Kenyatta airport.

But the country also faces a potential terrorist attack from al-Shabab fighters, who have been carrying out attacks in Kenya over Kenyan military intervention in Somalia.

This week Nairobi's Westgate Mall reopened. The shopping centre has been closed since an attack by al-Shabab in September 2013 in which 67 people were killed.

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