US First Lady Melania Trump to visit Kenya next week

US First Lady Melania Trump will visit Kenya next week as part of a four-country tour of Africa.

Mrs Trump made the announcement at a reception she hosted Wednesday for visiting heads of state, heads of foreign delegations, US officials and others who are in New York for an annual United Nations General Assembly. Other countries she will be visiting during her first solo foreign trip are Malawi, Ghana and Egypt.

“On October 1 will mark my first day of a solo visit to four beautiful and very different countries in Africa: Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. All of which have worked alongside USAID and our partners to make great progress in overcoming some of their biggest challenges,” she said.

President Donald Trump once called Africa a “shit hole” but now says they both love the continent.

“She’s making a big trip to Africa,. We both love Africa. Africa is so beautiful, the most beautiful part of the world, in many ways,” Trump said as he arrived at the United Nations on Wednesday before the First Lady made the formal announcement.

As First Lady, she has previously only traveled overseas while accompanying her husband but chose Africa for her first foreign trip long before the dates were confirmed.

“I am excited to educate myself on the issues facing children throughout the continent, while also learning about (Africa’s) rich culture and history,” she said in a statement last month.

Former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton also visited the continent during the reign of their husbands.