WASHINGTON
The White House said Wednesday that President Barack Obama will move forward with a planned overseas trip later this week, despite a security breach caused by an African airline official.
Obama will depart Thursday for Africa to attend a global entrepreneurship summit, and conduct bilateral meetings with officials in Ethiopia and Kenya.
A day before the trip, concerns were raised after reports that an official with Kenya Airways sent an email that detailed arrival and departure times for Air Force One in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
An airline spokesman denied that any sensitive information was leaked.
U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice told reporters the Secret Service was aware of the security breach but that it had no effect on plans.
"Often times a lot of this information is not entirely accurate," she said. "In no way is it disturbing our plans."
White House spokesman Josh Earnest added that although details of the president's travel are given ahead of time, those arrangements change and are not as specific until the final itinerary is made.
Obama’s trip is of particular concern as Kenya continues to fight the al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabaab.
The group claimed responsibility for the 2013 Westgate Mall attack in the capital that killed 67 victims and injured almost 200 others. In April, al-Shaabab militants attacked Garissa University, killing 148 people.
