Obama to boost ties with Kenya and pledges increased trade with Africa

Students from various universities in Kenya listen to a video-linked speech by US President Barack Obama at the US Embassy in Nairobi. [Photo: WILLIS AWANDU/STANDARD]

US President Barack Obama has rooted for increased trade with African countries ahead of crucial summit with the continent’s presidents in Washington DC.

Obama announced his plans to renegotiate the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) to increase trade between Africa and the US.

“We are strongly committed to ensuring Agoa is reopened when it expires in September 2015,” he said.

Addressing 500 youths who attended Washington Fellowship programmes through the Young African Leaders Initiative, among them 42 Kenyans, he spoke fondly of the land of his father Hussein Barrack Obama senior, amid applause.

He announced plans to create an African Leadership Centre in Kenya. Three other centres will be created in Ghana, South Africa and Senegal.

Essential contact

Obama appeared to climb down from the hardline stance on maintaining essential contact with President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto over their cases pending in The Hague-based International Criminal Court, and instead chose to recognise the possibilities of making Kenya a shining economy in the region.

“There is no reason why it should be easy to fly fresh flowers from Kenya to Paris while it takes longer to ferry tea (goods) to Tanzania next door,” he said.

“It is our desire to make Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda a stronger trading bloc by promoting intra-Africa trade,” Obama said yesterday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

The first black US President will host President Kenyatta among other 40 heads of State and Government in Washington DC and alluded to a turning point for his administration on how it engages Africa and its leaders in a newfound relationship. It will be the biggest delegation ever of African Heads of State and Government in history of US.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Sudan’s Omar El Bashir,  Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki have not been invited.

While the US administration remained tight-lipped on possibilities of Obama visiting Kenya before the end of his tenure, the US President spoke fondly of Kenya, praising success projects and his vision for a vibrant and stable continent as opposed to harsh criticism seen in his past statements.

A relaxed Obama challenged the youth to help change the African narrative from the story of poverty, disease, civil strife and corruption to a success story built around good governance, innovation and the rule of law.

He did not fail to mention repugnant cultural practices which must be shunned, singling out female genital mutilation, violence against women and polygamy.

“Our summit next week is pegged on how we can build a new partnership with Africa for peace and stability,” he said, adding that “we will support active engagement of citizens and the creativity of young Africans must be tapped. We will partner with skills and technology to spark change in the African countries.”

He announced possibility of funding gaps targeting small businesses to blossom and offer youth opportunities, arguing his administration will focus on how to make credit accessible to all.

“You do not have to be son or daughter of somebody to be able to access funds for business development or entrepreneurship. We will judge you on merit to bypass any system that smacks of favouritism and ethnicity,” he added.

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies Director for Africa Jenniffer Cooke said there was need to mend fences with Kenya to overcome the sour relations caused by the ICC cases against Uhuru and Ruto that had sent bad signals.