KENYA/GHANA: Barack Obama chooses Ghana for first African visit since becoming U.S. president, upsetting some in Kenya where his father was a farmer

Record ID: 362064

  • Title: KENYA/GHANA: Barack Obama chooses Ghana for first African visit since becoming U.S. president, upsetting some in Kenya where his father was a farmer
  • Date: 20th May 2009
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNNAMED FEMALE NAIROBI RESIDENT, SAYING: "No Kenya is really unsafe, and who said he must come here because he was born here? If he comes here he may be mugged, let him stay until our security is proper." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON STREET
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVABJMK93ACKY4P95DVXSQC7A2IR
  • Story Text: Barack Obama chooses Ghana for first African visit since becoming U.S. president, upsetting some in Kenya where his father was a farmer.
    Ghana is celebrating after it was announced on Tuesday (May 19) U.S. President Barack Obama will make the country his first trip to Africa since becoming president.
    But the visit in July has disappointed some in Kenya where Obama, the son of a Kenyan father and an American mother, was hailed as "a son of Kenya" during his presidential campaign.
    On Tuesday they were rejoicing instead in Ghana.
    Despite high expectations inspired across Africa by Obama's election, the world's poorest continent has not been high on his agenda as he has tackled the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea.
    The White House said Obama hoped to strengthen U.S. ties with Ghana and highlight the "critical role that sound governance and civil society play in promoting lasting development.
    People on the streets of Accra were delighted.
    But the news that his first visit to Africa as U.S. president would see him visiting Ghana rather than Kenya was splashed across major Kenyan newspapers and was the also subject of political cartoons.
    Some articles considered the choice of Ghana a major snub to Kenya, others pointed out that it was a way to pressurise Kenyan politicians into improving their performance.
    On the streets of Nairobi, there was an honest appraisal of why Obama was not going there first.
    One woman considered it down to the crime rate and said if Obama had come to Kenya "he would have been mugged."
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