Ex-President Obama reinforces call to tame graft in Kogelo visit

Former US President Barack Obama on his visit to his ancestral village reinforced his call for Kenya to tame corruption and embrace diversity for the good of the nation.

In what appeared to be directed at President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, Mr Obama said that a handshake and reconciliation would only be good for the country if followed with action on graft and to ensure equality.

The former US leader spoke at an event in K'Ogelo, where his father was born, to launch the Sauti Kuu Resource Centre started by his sister Auma Obama to help educate locals about utilising their talents.

DEMOCRACY

But his message was directed at the two top political leaders who have often commanded nearly the same size of support.

And though he is no longer in office, Mr Obama returned to his pet subject of democracy, equal opportunities and diversity; the same message he delivered when he gave a public lecture at Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi, three years ago.

"There has been real progress in this amazing country. The good news is Kenya has a new Constitution, it has a new spirit of entrepreneurship," he told an audience including Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga, Mr Odinga's wife Ida and Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang’-Nyong'o.

"Despite some of the tumultuous times that seem to attend every election, we now have the President and leader of opposition who have pledged to build bridges and committed to work together. But we know real progress remains addressing the challenges," he said.

POLITICAL WILL

He added: "It means rooting out corruption, it means seeing different ethnicities not as enemies or rivals but as allies; seeing the diversity not as a weakness but as a strength."

He spoke a day after meeting the two leaders who recently reconciled following a tense election that saw violence in parts of the country.

Yet as President Kenyatta announced tougher action on the corrupt and vowed to implement his Big Four agenda meant to bring universal healthcare, food security, manufacturing and housing; Mr Obama called for sustained fight, especially since the national ranking according to Transparency International showed Kenya was still poor in fighting graft.

He argued poor communities will remain a threat as long as there is no political will to ensure they rise from the situation.

"It means that economic growth reaches everyone and not just a few at the top, and it is broadly shared across the regions, guaranteeing education opportunities to everybody not just our boys, but also our girls because the nations that give the same opportunities to their sons as their daughters is more likely to succeed," he said.

POVERTY

Released from the chains of presidential protocol, Mr Obama spoke freely this time, as opposed to a written script.

Often, he repeated statements he made in 2015 when he visited the country as president.

He referred to his first visit in K'Ogelo in 1987 when he had to travel in a sluggish train with his sister Auma and then rickety buses to the village.

Where he slept, what he ate and the visit to his father's grave site gave him inspiration, he said, mostly to fight poverty and support the poor.

"I visited my father's grave and it gave me a sense of satisfaction that no five-star hotel could ever provide. It is a joy to be back.

"There are so many people who are family to me. Everybody is a cousin. When I was president, my plane didn't quite fit on the tarmac. But today I come as a brother," Mr Obama said.

YOUTH

No politician was allowed to speak, leaving many of them dejected despite turning up for the event.

In the audience, too, was Nigerian National Basketball Association legend Masai Ujiri, now president of the Toronto Raptors, South African songbird Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Congolese Basketball star Bismack Biyombo, who plays for Charlotte Hornets in the NBA.

Their inclusion in the entourage said something about his own history and their mission to help young people.

Mr Obama said his father once gave him a basketball as a Christmas gift but he didn't notice its importance at the time.

Later in the evening, the legends joined him to officially launch a basketball court with a five-a-side exhibition match.

"Basketball became a refuge. On the court, what matters is not who you know or what your father is. What matters is commitment," he said at the court.

"I hope you give this game a chance if you haven't played it before. I hope you love it as I have. By the way, this is not a game just for boys. I expect to see girls just as boys and I hope you learn to be disciplined," Mr Obama said.

EMPLOYMENT

Mr Masai is leading a team to teach children across Africa to utilise talent and hopefully join the NBA in future.

"We can see the whole of Africa from here. It is unbelievable," he said. Their mission is to tap and market talent from the continent.

Speaking earlier, the former President referred to his history and how his first visit to K'Ogelo 22 years ago to learn about his father inspired him.

He repeated remarks he made in 2015 at Kasarani that the progress in Kenya now means fewer Kenyans need to travel abroad or even emigrate to get a good education, which means more youth can have opportunities in the country, if policies are put in place.