A plane carrying Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to Dubai was forced to turn back home after navigation challenges caused by the military activities in Yemen, the State House in Nairobi said on Friday.

According to State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu, President Uhuru left Nairobi Thursday evening on board his official Kenya Airforce aircraft heading for Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, where he was due to take a commercial flight to Los Angeles.

“Following reports of increased military activity in Yemen, there was a challenge on the routing leading to a decision to turn back. The President touched the ground at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 11.42 pm,” Esipisu said in a statement.