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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
President Barack Obama will skip Kenya during his maiden visit to Africa as US leader.
His decision to make Ghana his first African destination is being seen as a reward for one of the continent’s most stable and democratic countries. He is expected to hold talks with President John Atta Mills.
In skipping Kenya, the first African-American president is signalling that he puts political values over ancestral allegiances.
“The President and Mrs Obama look forward to strengthening US relations with one of our most trusted partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and to highlighting the critical role that sound governance and civil society play in promoting lasting development,” a White House statement said on Saturday.
However, Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula on Sunday dismissed speculation that President Obama had snubbed Kenya, saying people should not assume that his first visit to the continent would be to his father’s homeland.
“This is a president of a sovereign country and we have no control over their decision-making process. It is not right for us to read so much into their plans,” he said.
He said Mr Obama has a special relationship with Kenya and will visit at an appropriate time.
“We all know that we reserve a special relation with the US President and at an appropriate time, he will visit Kenya.”
The father of the first black President of the US is a Kenyan from Kogelo and his grandmother Mama Sarah Obama attended Mr Obama’s inauguration in January this year.
The Government, in recognition, declared a one day holiday to celebrate Mr Obama’s victory after he beat Republican Party’s John McCain.
Mr Obama, who has proudly acknowledged his Kenyan roots, criticised the Kibaki administration over corruption when he visited Kenya in 2006 as the Senator for Illinois.
The July 10 visit, a one-day stop after a trip to Moscow on July 6 and to Italy on July 8, is likely to spark mass rejoicing in the West African country.
Ghana has transformed itself form a succession of military dictatorships to a strong and stable democracy with a fast growing economy.
President Mills last year succeeded President John Kuffuor who had served the maximum two terms since taking over from President Jerry Rawlings.
When Kenya’s disputed election sparked a violent confrontation, former President Kuffuor, then chairman of the African Union, was the first high-profile mediator to fly into the country before handing over the task to countryman and former UN chief Kofi Annan.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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