Obama to announce key initiatives in Kenya, Robinson Githae says

President Barack Obama is set to announce major new agreements with Kenya, the country’s ambassador to the United States, Robinson Githae, said on Thursday.

The agreements are on military assistance, trade and investment and other subjects, Mr Githae said.

He, however, declined to provide details of the initiatives to be unveiled by Mr Obama during his visit next week.

Mr Githae said it was up to the White House to make such announcements.

The president's team has so far revealed little about his length of stay, itinerary or the topics Mr Obama will address while in Kenya.

Ambassador Githae hinted, however, that Mr Obama's stay in his father's homeland may be brief.

"His legacy will be determined not by the number of hours or days he will be in Nairobi," the envoy said. "It will be determined by the agreements he and the government of Kenya have reached."

Mr Githae did tell the Nation that the US leader would be spending more than a few hours in Kenya.

PROGRAMME NOT FINALISED

The exact amount of time has not been finalised because the president's programme is still being drafted, the ambassador said.

He spoke at an event on Capitol Hill in Washington keyed to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) taking place in Nairobi on July 24-25.

Two US senators and a member of Mr Obama's cabinet also addressed the roughly 50-member gathering that included officials from the Kenya embassy and representatives of a Washington lobbying group retained by the Kenyan government.

Senator Chris Coons, a key Africa advocate in the US Congress, announced that he would be accompanying Mr Obama to Kenya.

It was reported earlier on Thursday that about half a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus would also be joining the president's delegation.

Senator Coons noted that this would be his fourth visit to Kenya, which he called "one of my favourite places on earth".

Maria Contreras-Sweet, head of the US government's Small Business Administration, will also be traveling to Kenya with Mr Obama.

The cabinet official touted the significance of the GES, as did Senator Edward Markey, who called the sixth annual event "historic" because it will mark the first time entrepreneurs from around the world will be meeting in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ms Contreras-Sweet recalled that at the first such summit, which was held in Cairo, Mr Obama had described entrepreneurship as "the most powerful force in the world for lifting people out of poverty".