President Obama visits Kenya

Anxiety is mounting in Kenya to give Obama a historic reception in his father’s homeland.

President Barack Obama of the United States of America will today, Friday, July 24, 2015 pay the first presidential visit to Kenya, his father’s homeland.

The Daily Nation reports that on the eve of the African trip, Barack Obama said he was excited about the visit to his ancestral continent, which he described as having great resilience and enormous economic potential for growth.

Talking at a reception on Wednesday, July 22, 2015, Mr Obama said, "Despite its many challenges — and we have to be clear-eyed about all the challenges that the continent still faces — Africa is a place of incredible dynamism, some of the fastest-growing markets in the world, extraordinary people, extraordinary resilience," Daily Nation quoted.

He is quoted as having added that the African continent "has the potential to be the next centre of global economic growth.” On efforts to boost U.S-African relations during his tenure of office, Obama said, "As president, I've worked so hard to take our relationship with Africa to a new level.” He specified that, "We've boosted US exports. We've launched historic initiatives to promote trade and investment, health, agricultural development and food security, power Africa to promote and expand electrification.”

He stated that "The ties to Africa here in the United States obviously are deep; they are long; they're complicated. There have been times where there have been misunderstandings, and there have been times where there have been suspicions. But when you look at every survey, it turns out that the people of Africa love the United States and what it stands for," he reportedly said.

The Kenyan government is taking all measures to make the visit a resounding success. Kenya will close its airspace for a 50-minute window ahead of US President Barack Obama's arrival in the capital Nairobi, BBC reported, citing Kenya’s civil aviation authority (KCAA). A ban on planes flying lower than 20,000 feet will remain in place in Nairobi for the duration of Mr Obama's three-day visit.

The U.S. State Department in a statement said the global entrepreneurship summit in Nairobi this weekend, which Mr Obama is due to address, could provide "a target for terrorists.” Reports also say Kenyan airspace will also be closed for a further 40 minutes on Sunday when President Obama leaves for neighbouring Ethiopia. Besides public authorities, the population is enthusiastic about the visit as evidenced by various preparatory activities.