The United States Embassy in Kigali has officially resumed full operations following the end of the US federal government shutdown, which lasted 43 days, the longest in the country’s history. The partial U.S. government shutdown began on October 1 due to a funding impasse in Congress, temporarily halting many federal operations across the country and abroad. Embassy services had been limited during the shutdown, with updates provided only for urgent safety and security matters. Ambassador Eric Kneedler confirmed that American Citizen Services have fully restarted, while visa services will continue as scheduled, restoring all functions that had been disrupted during the funding lapse. ALSO READ: US Embassy Kigali puts services on hold amid US govt shutdown Kneedler announced the restoration of services on his X page. “End of lapse of appropriations. U.S. Embassy Kigali has resumed full operations. American citizen services and visa services are proceeding as scheduled,” he wrote. The breakthrough that ended the shutdown came earlier in the week when the U.S. Senate approved a long-sought funding package. Its advancement became possible after eight Democratic senators crossed the aisle, enabling Sunday’s crucial procedural vote. On Monday, the Senate accelerated its internal negotiations, merging several components into a single package that reinstates federal workers, funds key agencies, and resolves immediate budgetary gaps, according to CBS News. In return for Democratic support, Republicans agreed to hold a vote by mid-December on extending health-care tax credits, a move that angered parts of the Democratic base who wanted the issue included directly in the funding bill.
