Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya served to endorse an undeserving regime

It gives me no pleasure to write this critique — post-mortem — of President Barack Hussein Obama’s visit to Kenya. That’s because I support many of Mr Obama’s policies in the United States.

He’s a transformational figure. But his visit last month to Kenya was driven by sinister motives. Simply put, Mr Obama’s Kenyan “homecoming” was a disaster for democracy and human rights. The son of K’Ogelo — who’s the world’s most powerful human — squandered the prestige and power of his office to bestow recognition on a corrupt and illiberal regime that’s bereft of basic decency and legitimacy.

He cavorted with, and glad-handed, high priests of corruption and mal-governance. Then he shunned and humiliated democrats and truth-tellers. Let me tell you why.

Beneath President Obama’s toothy charming smiles — and highfalutin speeches — lay a two-pronged geopolitical agenda. Only a fool would buy the boondoggle of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit as the reason for his jaunt to Kenya. That feel-good junket was simply cover for being hosted by a questionable regime. Nothing will eventually come of it — nada.

The GES was subterfuge — clear and straightforward. That’s why POTUS only spent a nanosecond on it. Even there, Mr Obama made sure he stamped Jubilee’s Uhuru Kenyatta with American imprimatur. He treated him like an equal by sharing co-hosting duties. Those who read tea leaves knew what was up. Like a Catholic priest, Mr Obama came to forgive Mr Kenyatta’s sins, but without a confession.

In high diplomacy, body language is as good as substance. That’s why heads of state pose for cameras together and vigorously — and generously — shake hands and grin for the press. By this measure, Mr Kenyatta’s public appearances with Mr Obama were a coup. I bet the son of Jomo is still pinching himself, and counting his lucky stars.

After all, Mr Obama could’ve been cold with clenched teeth, as he appeared whenever he encountered URP’s William Ruto. One got the impression Mr Ruto was a gatecrasher, a factotum who had ambushed Mr Obama in his gay [merry] revelry with Mr Kenyatta. I’d say Mr Ruto was unwanted. Mr Obama even danced with Mr Kenyatta. That’s called chemistry.

Let me now tell you why Mr Obama really came to Kenya. First, the United States doesn’t do much out of sentimentality. America is an empire, and global hegemons tend to act in their geopolitical strategic interest.

In Kenya’s case, America’s foremost interest is its war against terror. The menace of Al-Shabaab can’t be brushed aside as an irritation of a medieval cult. America knows that terrorists need only succeed once to cause havoc. That’s why the Jubilee regime is a necessary evil that Americans have to embrace. Kenya is a frontline state on the war on terror. Mr Obama thinks he has no choice but to coddle Mr Kenyatta as an ally against terror. That’s fact.

Second, America has decided to counterpunch the Chinese in their Scramble for Africa. China’s penetration of Africa has been deep and rapid. It’s shocked Washington. For centuries a backward state, China is now posing a real threat to American global hegemony. Africa is the new battleground for this war of world supremacy. That’s why America has cast human rights and democracy aside to compete with China. In embracing Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee and Ethiopia’s PM Hailemariam Desalegn — two leaders who preside over corrupt, illiberal, and even undemocratic regimes — Mr Obama has repudiated his own policy. In his Cairo and Cape Town speeches, Mr Obama anchored a new American Africa policy on democracy, human rights, and equal opportunity. That was eons ago.

Mr Obama’s Kenya and Ethiopia trips have reverted US policy towards Africa to a Cold War script. Mr Obama has reneged on his promise to support democracy in Africa. Terror and China have replaced communism and the Soviet Union as the new anchors of American policy. Like in the Cold War, America is now again coddling dictators and anti-democrats. That explains why Mr Obama embraced Mr Kenyatta whose case at the International Criminal Court was withdrawn amid accusations of sabotage to defeat justice. Mr Obama gladly took pictures with Mr Ruto and shook his hand in spite of the high voltage case against him at the ICC. Mr Obama might as well have told victims to go jump into a lake.

Kenyans have been told that the US and Kenya signed an MOU on an anti-corruption agenda. Please — don’t make me laugh. That memo is nothing but a palliative, a tranquiliser administered to gullible Kenyans to hoodwink them. It’s an American morsel to civil society and the Opposition to soothe their egos and anger over Mr Obama’s legitimisation of Jubilee. America has reverted its foreign policy to a familiar racist script that treats Africans as expendable. It’s sad it’s under Mr Obama’s watch.