Barack Obama visit affirms Kenya as a key innovation hub

With only weeks to go before President Barack Obama arrives in Kenya for the annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit and bilateral meetings with President Uhuru Kenyatta, it is understandable that excitement is mounting ahead of this pivotal and historic visit.

This trip will be hugely important for Kenya and not just for sentimental reasons. The decision to host the sixth annual summit in Nairobi underscores the progress Kenya has made in becoming a regional hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. With its pleasant, year-round climate, exceptionally hard working and well educated human resource base, relatively advanced infrastructure and open system of government, Kenya has established itself as the go-to destination not just for tourists, but for investors seeking a foothold in a rising continent.