Obama’s new pledge to visit Kenya before leaving White House

By LUCAS BARASA lbarassa@ke.nationmedia.com and AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com

Saturday, June 29  2013

In Summary

• Mr Obama said he avoided Kenya during his current tour because of ICC cases facing President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto. The two are facing crimes against humanity charges stemming from the 2007/08 post-election violence.
• President Obama threw a jab at China’s operations in Africa, claiming some of its business deals on the continent are not benefiting Africans.

US President Barack Obama has promised to visit Kenya before the end of his presidency— in the next three and a half years.

“If in three years and seven months I am not in Kenya, then you can fault me for not keeping my promise,” President Obama told a gathering of young African leaders at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto, in address that was televised across Africa.

The US leader has been facing a barrage of attacks from Kenyans, especially in social media, on why he has skipped the country during his two visits to Africa as leader of world’s most powerful nation.

Mr Obama said he avoided Kenya during his current tour because of ICC cases facing President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto. The two are facing crimes against humanity charges stemming from the 2007/08 post-election violence.

“What is also true, I won’t deny, is that Kenya just had elections, but the new administration also has to manage some of the international issues around the ICC. I did not think it was the optimal time for me to visit,” he said, adding that he had after all come to Kenya many times before becoming president.

He was responding to a question from Ms Margaret Muyanga from Kenya during the teleconference. He said unlike Kenya where he has visited a number of times before he became President, he had not had sustained visits to West African and Southern Africa.

President Obama had also earlier told journalists in South Africa that the “timing was not right” for him to come to Kenya— his father’s homeland— during his current Africa tour, but he expected to come many times in the future.

“My personal ties to the people of Kenya, by definition are going to be strong and will stay strong,” he said.

Mr Obama’s Africa tour began in Senegal before heading to South Africa. He will wrap up his week-long journey in Tanzania.

Yesterday, President Obama also announced good tidings to Kenyans, saying the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which gives preferential treatment to some goods from the continent in the US market, could be renewed.

“I’m confident with good negotiation we will do,” President Obama said but added the future is in creating value here in Africa. e said under AGOA, 95 per cent of goods from Africa entering the US market are not taxed, giving the continent’s exports “great” advantage.

He said the US wants an Africa that is building, manufacturing, adding value and inventing before selling to the world for success.

On Kenya and other African countries turn o the East for business, President Obama said the countries should ensure they get good deals from whomever they were dealing with.

If someone is building roads in Africa, then he should hire some Africans,” he said.

Manufacturing plants using raw materials from Africa, he said, should be established in the continent.

He was happy that some African countries had embraced democracy, the war on corruption, ensured transparency, upheld freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. He said there’s no need to pay bribes to get tenders.

The US leader called on the youth to hold their governments accountable.

“Governments should serve for public good and not just for the few,” he said.

He also paid tribute to the ailing former South Africa President Nelson Mandela’s legacy that he had left the country, including commitment to constitution, rule of law and equal treatment for all.

“The same should be true in Kenya,” President Obama, who started responding to questions from Kenya by saying Asante Sana (Thank You).

President Obama threw a jab at China’s operations in Africa, claiming some of its business deals on the continent are not benefiting Africans.

He said US policy is to see Africans reap big from interacting with any country in the world.

He said the US was not against any country doing business in Africa but was against the exploitation of Africa by countries abroad.

China has been growing its business on the continent and winning some of the biggest contracts in road, port and housing constructions in countries such as Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Ghana. But Beijing has been accused of giving Sh5 to Africa and taking away Sh20.

The Chinese are also accused of using their own people in doing jobs of contracts they win in Africa