Obama refusal
to visit Kenya
will have
consequences
By KWAMCHETSI MAKOKHA
Posted Friday, June 28 2013 at
18:57
US President Barack Obama is no
friend of Kenya. Consider that when
no other country ever declared a
public holiday to celebrate his
election victory in 2008, Kenya did.
The Senegalese had no idea and the
Tanzanians and South Africans were
green with envy.
Consider also that when President
Obama needed good genes to get
into Harvard Law School, a Kenyan
contributed 50 per cent. When Mr
Obama needed pictures of himself
carrying cassava to the market to
get through a bruising campaign,
Kenya obliged.
In fact, Kenya provided the story of
his African ancestry complete
with the heroic role his grandfather
played in the Mau Mau struggle for
independence. He even visited the
country as a junior senator for
Illinois, and was welcomed with
open arms.
Now that he is President, Kenya is
not good enough to visit.
The excuse for his refusal is
laughable. Fears of being
photographed at State House in the
company of the countrys two
leaders who face crimes against
humanity charges at the
International Criminal Court have
apparently forced him to skirt his
fathers homeland as if it were a
leper colony.
Did the country not conduct peaceful
elections this year that the Supreme
Court passed as the cleanest in the
countrys history? He has permitted
a little domestic quarrel about
power to prevent him from taking a
mere photograph with the
legitimate leadership of Kenya just
because of claims that 1,133 people
died and 600,000 others were
displaced as a result of their
combined genius.
Has Kenya not recovered from the
violence that nearly tore the country
apart in 2008, passing a modern and
progressive Constitution?
Only this year, Mr Obama pretended
to care for Kenya by promising that
those willing to walk the path of
progress would continue to have a
strong friend and partner in the
United States of America.
Instead of holding up Kenya as a
beacon of democracy and prosperity
that has survived 50 years of
independence, Mr Obama has gone
looking for examples in Senegal,
Tanzania and South Africa. He
should know that Kenya wrote the
encyclopaedia of African democracy.
It is incongruous that Mr Obama
would want to discuss good
governance with toddlers in African
democracy. Anyone who needs a
manual on how to run elections
needs to look no further than Kenya.
Anyone who is keen on creating a
youthful leadership on the backbone
of integrity need not look further
than Nairobi. Mr Obama wanted to
discuss political parties? Kenya has
over 50. It can teach Africans not
just about democracy, it can also
instruct them on justice.
For all its exemplary political
conduct, what does Kenya get? Bad
press and a presidential snub! Other
than having Nelson Mandela, South
Africa has nothing on Kenya. The
lions in Tanzania are all Kenyan.
Mr Obama seems to be oblivious of
the numerous sacrifices many
Kenyans have quietly made to bring
him to where he is. Numerous
Kenyans, working as immigrants,
have lifted the American economy
from the ignominy of the world
economic crisis.
Kenya has allowed thousands of
Americans to work as spies,
marines, teachers, researchers and
what-not just to cover Mr Obamas
vulnerability in failing to create jobs
at home. His truancy in dodging the
call of his ancestral home invites
punishment commensurate with his
mischief.
Mr Obama should think long and
hard about the effect of Kenya
demanding the repatriation of all its
resources stolen to benefit America
starting with six pints of his
blood, 16 of his teeth and 50 per cent
of his brain. The rest should follow
in due course.
Choices have consequences.
kwamchetsi@formandcontent.co.ke
to visit Kenya
will have
consequences
By KWAMCHETSI MAKOKHA
Posted Friday, June 28 2013 at
18:57
US President Barack Obama is no
friend of Kenya. Consider that when
no other country ever declared a
public holiday to celebrate his
election victory in 2008, Kenya did.
The Senegalese had no idea and the
Tanzanians and South Africans were
green with envy.
Consider also that when President
Obama needed good genes to get
into Harvard Law School, a Kenyan
contributed 50 per cent. When Mr
Obama needed pictures of himself
carrying cassava to the market to
get through a bruising campaign,
Kenya obliged.
In fact, Kenya provided the story of
his African ancestry complete
with the heroic role his grandfather
played in the Mau Mau struggle for
independence. He even visited the
country as a junior senator for
Illinois, and was welcomed with
open arms.
Now that he is President, Kenya is
not good enough to visit.
The excuse for his refusal is
laughable. Fears of being
photographed at State House in the
company of the countrys two
leaders who face crimes against
humanity charges at the
International Criminal Court have
apparently forced him to skirt his
fathers homeland as if it were a
leper colony.
Did the country not conduct peaceful
elections this year that the Supreme
Court passed as the cleanest in the
countrys history? He has permitted
a little domestic quarrel about
power to prevent him from taking a
mere photograph with the
legitimate leadership of Kenya just
because of claims that 1,133 people
died and 600,000 others were
displaced as a result of their
combined genius.
Has Kenya not recovered from the
violence that nearly tore the country
apart in 2008, passing a modern and
progressive Constitution?
Only this year, Mr Obama pretended
to care for Kenya by promising that
those willing to walk the path of
progress would continue to have a
strong friend and partner in the
United States of America.
Instead of holding up Kenya as a
beacon of democracy and prosperity
that has survived 50 years of
independence, Mr Obama has gone
looking for examples in Senegal,
Tanzania and South Africa. He
should know that Kenya wrote the
encyclopaedia of African democracy.
It is incongruous that Mr Obama
would want to discuss good
governance with toddlers in African
democracy. Anyone who needs a
manual on how to run elections
needs to look no further than Kenya.
Anyone who is keen on creating a
youthful leadership on the backbone
of integrity need not look further
than Nairobi. Mr Obama wanted to
discuss political parties? Kenya has
over 50. It can teach Africans not
just about democracy, it can also
instruct them on justice.
For all its exemplary political
conduct, what does Kenya get? Bad
press and a presidential snub! Other
than having Nelson Mandela, South
Africa has nothing on Kenya. The
lions in Tanzania are all Kenyan.
Mr Obama seems to be oblivious of
the numerous sacrifices many
Kenyans have quietly made to bring
him to where he is. Numerous
Kenyans, working as immigrants,
have lifted the American economy
from the ignominy of the world
economic crisis.
Kenya has allowed thousands of
Americans to work as spies,
marines, teachers, researchers and
what-not just to cover Mr Obamas
vulnerability in failing to create jobs
at home. His truancy in dodging the
call of his ancestral home invites
punishment commensurate with his
mischief.
Mr Obama should think long and
hard about the effect of Kenya
demanding the repatriation of all its
resources stolen to benefit America
starting with six pints of his
blood, 16 of his teeth and 50 per cent
of his brain. The rest should follow
in due course.
Choices have consequences.
kwamchetsi@formandcontent.co.ke
