Tuesday 19 May 2009

Barack Obama will not be visiting Kenya on his Africa trip

I dread going to work when my Ghanaian colleague will be in. As I know he will ask me why Obama chose Ghana instead of Kenya for his first trip to Africa.

My initial reaction when I read about this was charity begins at home, at least that is what my mother always drummed into me. So, I couldn't get it.

On reflection, I see it as tough love. Barack Obama will not visit Kenya until we have sorted ourselves out. Whenever that will be.

Clearly Ghana had free and fair elections and has a good model of governance.

It can happen in Africa, but will it happen in Kenya despite our history.

I live in hope.

Update:Related article Why Obama will not visit Kenya

Update two Related article:Kenya: Country's Honeymoon With Obama Has Turned Sour

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What does an average Kenyan gain in terms of sufurias of Ugali if Obama visits Kenya?
US is riddled with corruption and wars that has made the world a more unsafe place for Obama to point a finger at kenya. infact america has put kenya where it is by forcing a government of national unity when we had a clear winner all along.

maybe he should be busy fixing american economy that has seen them lose houses, jobs and livelihood before pointing an informed finger at Kenya.
america is not heaven to quote karua so Funua get another more stimulating topic to discuss.

disgruntled reader..

Tamtam said...

Disgruntled reader in Japan,

Thank you for stopping by again. True the average Kenyan won't gain in terms of sufurias of Ugali, from an Obama visit.

Like yourself, I believe there was a clear winner. It seemed that the only option was to force the government of national unity, to curb the bloodshed.

I believe Barack Obama's priority is to deal with his problems in the US first,and foreign policy is second.

I assumed that as he has Kenyan roots we would be the first African country he visited.

I have visited America, and would not define it as heaven either.

odegle said...

His visit would actually be very symbolic and would eventually add the plates of ugali. i hope i dont have to explain that.

Tamtam said...

Odegle,

Thanks for stopping by. I am still taking in the symbolism of him being the POTUS. It will take time to sink in.

Sylvia said...

I also hoped that Obama would visit Kenya in his first African trip. However, due to his obvious connection to Kenya, I think he chose not to come because Americans and people the world over would say he's here for a personal visit as opposed to an official one. Which is probably true. We know he loves us because he mentions his Kenyan father in almost all his speeches. He'll come after he's settled in properly at his new office.

All in all, we've not had a US president visit Kenya in the last 16yrs I think. Am not sure. Bush and Clinton visited Uganda and Tanzania but did not visit Kenya. Am sure there was a reason. That's probably the same reason why Obama did not come.