By Wilfred Ayaga
Wednesday, July 22nd 2015
Taking time to address the subject of US President Barack Obama’s visit on Friday, accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto and select members of the Cabinet whose dockets have a direct role in the visit, Uhuru explained at length how Kenyans stand to benefit from the trip.
The President made it clear it will not just be another photo opportunity, but a chance for the country to reap economic benefits.
In the latest indication that the Jubilee administration was determined to make the most out of the trip, Uhuru held a long meeting with key Cabinet Secretaries at State House, Nairobi, before emerging to deliver a speech that ignored controversial issues that may cloud the trip.
Uhuru spoke a few days after two of Obama’s advisors and former US ambassadors to Kenya, Johnnie Carson and William Bellamy, wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times, advising him to engage the Kenyan leader in private on the issue of rights and freedoms as well as runaway corruption.
“While the President (Obama) is assured of an enthusiastic welcome in Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s supporters bristle when Americans or other Westerners question their government’s policies or performance,” the two diplomats advised.
They went on, “Indeed, many Kenyans fear if Obama does not challenge the Government’s treatment of its critics, the lapse will be interpreted as a green light to continue cracking down in the name of Kenya’s own war on terror.”
In his address, Uhuru told Kenyans that Obama’s visit would focus on more critical issues such as the war on terrorism and investment in key area such as energy, manufacturing and information technology and steered clear of the raging gay debate.
The President also hopes the country’s innovators will benefit from the expertise of their global counterparts who are expected to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at the UN Complex, Nairobi.
President Kenyatta and President Obama will hold bilateral talks at State House, Nairobi, on Saturday at which Kenya will seek to bargain for more concessions from the the US, which is now the country’s second most important trading partner.
“Our exports to the US hit Sh30 billion last year,” President Kenyatta observed.
The entrepreneurship conference, which is billed as one of the largest gatherings of entrepreneurs, innovators, government leaders and youth, has already attracted 1,400 delegates from around the world.
“This is the first time the Summit has come to sub-Saharan Africa. In its choice of Kenya, the GES acknowledges the progress and potential of our nation, and its leadership on the continent. It also acknowledges our entrepreneurial spirit, our robust small and medium enterprises and our entrepreneur class – which now counts many of our young people, and previously marginalised groups, among its members,” said the President.
Success stories
He continued, “This is our event – all of us. As Kenyans, we have the opportunity to learn from the experience and expertise of some of the world’s top business development experts and leaders, and to share with them our own achievements and success stories,” he added.
the Cabinet secretaries who attended the early morning meeting with the President were Amina Mohammed (Foreign Affairs), Phyllis Kandie (Tourism), Adan Mohammed (Industrialisation and Enterprise Development), Henry Rotich (Treasury), Raychelle Omamo (Defence) and Anne Waiguru (Devolution).
Others were Attorney General Githu Muigai and Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Monica Juma.
The President expressed optimism that the global conference will generate greater interest in the country’s pursuit of green energy resources, which are progressively being adopted by the rest of the world.
“I welcome new interest in green energy just as warmly as I welcome our cooperation with the United States in our battles against terrorists and strengthening governance institutions,” he said.
The President deflected questions on whether his deputy, who is facing criminal charges at The Hague, will have the opportunity of meeting President Obama, terming it a ‘non-issue.’ “Certainly, we look forward to what is to come: to partnerships, to shared prosperity, and to a new era of innovation and possibility.”
“This is the first time the Summit has come to sub-Saharan Africa. In its choice of Kenya, the GES acknowledges the progress and potential of our nation, and its leadership on the continent. It also acknowledges our entrepreneurial spirit, our robust small and medium enterprises and our entrepreneur class – which now counts many of our young people, and previously marginalised groups, among its members,” said the President.
Success stories
He continued, “This is our event – all of us. As Kenyans, we have the opportunity to learn from the experience and expertise of some of the world’s top business development experts and leaders, and to share with them our own achievements and success stories,” he added.
Among the Cabinet secretaries who attended the early morning meeting with the President were Amina Mohammed (Foreign Affairs), Phyllis Kandie (Tourism), Adan Mohammed (Industrialisation and Enterprise Development), Henry Rotich (Treasury), Raychelle Omamo (Defence) and Anne Waiguru (Devolution).
Others were Attorney General Githu Muigai and Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Monica Juma.
The President expressed optimism that the global conference will generate greater interest in the country’s pursuit of green energy resources, which are progressively being adopted by the rest of the world.
“I welcome new interest in green energy just as warmly as I welcome our cooperation with the United States in our battles against terrorists and strengthening governance institutions,” he said.
The President deflected questions on whether his deputy, who is facing criminal charges at The Hague, will have the opportunity of meeting President Obama, terming it a ‘non-issue.’ “Certainly, we look forward to what is to come: to partnerships, to shared prosperity, and to a new era of innovation and possibility.”
He was also quick to pre-empt ‘hard’ questions that may arise during the US leader’s visit, especially on his government’s commitment to the fight against corruption.
“There are those among us who still hope to pervert public enterprise for private ends. My administration has led the war against them; their corrupt schemes will fail. Our country has endured the attacks of depraved, ideological criminals. We have fought them unrelentingly, and they know, as well as we do, that they will lose,’’ he declared.
He added, “My commitment to the fight against corruption is clear. We have done what we need to do as an Executive, but we are asking the responsible institutions to expedite the cases before them and prosecute where wrongdoing has been found.”
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