News
Obama to skip Kenya on African tour
President Obama attending a press conference. He has invited Kenyans to send comments and questions via short message service on number 5683 ahead of his speech in Ghana on Saturday. Photo/ REUTERS
Posted Sunday, May 17 2009 at 21:24
In recent weeks, the US has criticised the Kenyan government’s performance, warning against resurgence of strife.
Mr Johnnie Carson, President Obama’s top Africa official, recently made a stop in Nairobi where he delivered a stern warning to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to get the reform process on track or face unspecified sanctions.
Mr Carson, a former US envoy in Kenya, met both President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga and passed to them a message from President Obama on the need to fast track reforms in the National Accord and the importance of tackling corruption.
“Kenya has endured a period of great strife and political violence since Mr Obama’s last visit,” The New York Times said in a report on Sunday.
President Obama may also be seeking to “avoid the spectacle of a longer journey to the continent dedicated to showcasing his family roots,” the Times added.
“His trip to his late father’s home country of Kenya while a senator in 2006 generated international attention even before he began running for president.”
Kenyans have high expectation from the Obama administration. The sudden change of life in Kogelo to a village of great potential since the election of President Obama has been taken as a signal of better things to come.
The US president is scheduled to hold bilateral talks in Accra, Ghana’s capital, with President Mills. Mr Obama also plans to tour Cape Coast, a former slave-trade hub.
Mr Odinga will be in the US this week, but there are no plans for him to meet with President Obama.
The Prime Minister will speak at a business convention in Chicago and give a lecture at the State University of New York.
-
Submitted by njerirose24Posted May 25, 2009 04:25 AM
-
Submitted by wangulu35
whichever way we look at it obama's presidency in US will always affect kenya.many kenyans in diaspora are respected because of shared roots with him.kenya was the only country in the World that took a day off to celebrate his victory.there will be alot of business opportunities missed when he skips kenya.Lets not pretend that we are blind.
Posted May 20, 2009 08:17 AM -
Submitted by madhair
if i were him, i woundn´t come to kenya too. i mean, how can you visit a place where there are no real signs of seriousness. the poisoned maize on sale, big men squabbling over trivial things, mps who don't pay taxes and so many other evils perpetuated by those who are supposed to defend the people. better go to a place like Ghana, a place of real reforms and an example of the elusive democracy.
Posted May 19, 2009 04:34 PM -
Submitted by Isaya Baraza
Kenyan politics is very discouraging. Who will want to visit leaders who cannot agree on a simple issue of Leader of Goverment Business? Our two Principals have embarrassed Obama.
Posted May 19, 2009 02:19 PM -
Submitted by twocents
Now Ghanaiain politics is a relief for sore Kenyan eyes! Rodneyghee, you are clearly very bitter and myopic when it comes to the true state of political affairs in Kenya!
Posted May 19, 2009 02:15 PM
RSS
Disagreement in Kenyan politics is caused simply by minority trying to force everything on majority. We must accept that ODM has minority despite that they artificially lost top seat. This has caused unfriendly attitude between us from Central Kenya and the rest of Kenyans. Now we're like to miss many opportunities from US coz some of us feel that the US leader may be more on ODM side. We from Central Kenya have to change.