County bosses lobby for Obama to visit Kisumu

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma and his Siaya counterpart Cornel Rasanga are lobbying for US President Barack Obama to tour the lakeside when he visits Kenya in July.

The governors said the visit would promote the region as an international tourist destination.

In separate interviews with the Nation yesterday, the two leaders said a visit by President Obama to Kisumu would give them an opportunity to seek support for development programmes in the region.

President Obama’s father, Barack Obama Snr, hailed from Kogelo Village in Siaya County.

Mr Ranguma said they would continue engaging the US embassy to consider a tour of Kisumu by the US president and possibly have him deliver a lecture at the Tom Mboya Labour College.

“We will engage the US ambassador towards slotting a lecture by President Barack Obama if he chooses to travel to Kogelo to see his grandmother, Mama Sarah Obama,” said Mr Ranguma.

“We want Kisumu to go into history books as having hosted the US President. This will remain a selling point for the region’s burgeoning tourism sector,” he added.

The county boss said they would look at the matter closely owing to the support the US government has given to the region.

He said the Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprises (KAVES) project would feature in discussions with the American leader should he decide to visit the region. The KAVES project, launched in November 2013, saw 22 counties share Sh3.5 billion from the US government to combat food shortage.

The money was given out to 500,000 small-scale farmers in eastern and western Kenya.

“We want to seize the opportunity to discuss other value chains that can be explored in future through the existing partnerships,” he said.

The governor said the landing of Airforce One at the Kisumu International Airport would translate into more visits by tourists.

He said the visit would prompt more people to tour Kogelo, among other tourist attractions in the region.

The lobbying comes amid indications that the US President would conclude his tour in Nairobi.

Mr Obama will be in the country for the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Siaya County plans to host a dinner for the president, though in Nairobi, where Mama Sarah Obama, will be one of the key guests.

Yesterday, Governor Rasanga said discussions on the dinner with the county government’s partners, among them Nation Media Group, were in top gear.

The governor said his greatest wish, however, is to see Mr Obama visit his fathers’ home in Siaya.

“The best would have been an opportunity to engage President Obama on water scarcity and food shortage in our county,” he said.