Yes the one and only President of the United States of America and son of Kenya (but do we say) jetted to an anxious Nairobi on Friday July 24th evening. It was rumored that the roads would be closed by 2pm and so we were thankfully given the day off!! Spent the day listening and reading on social media about Obama that even my youngest one by Friday could identify Obama in the newspaper!!
My middle one asks....Obama is from Kenya?? no he is from America......so will people in America miss him when he comes? ...me, no I don't think so....he normally travels around the world
Older one was just obsessed with The Beast and Marine 1 - asking question after question about what these equipment can really stand in terms of pressure.....
The excitement was for everyone!!!
He jetted in, made a small girl take a picture that will hopefully mean to her that even SHE can become whoever she wants to be!! and made his already accomplished sister Dr Auma Obama, famous by the warm hug and of course the envious ride in his official car. Had family at Kempinski with 36 members of his extended family - waaa.....am sure that one will cause problems for them later.....how to choose 36 from an extended family for such an occasion???!!!!!
Saturday rolled in and he attended the GES2015 summit (the reason why he was here)....a visibly excited Julie Gichuru gave them a warm welcome.....complete with an ariririririririririri...heheheh......Obama gave a short speech and the part I liked was of course reiterating the women are POWERHOUSE INVESTORS....CNN had earlier tried to rain on our parade and our President rose to the occasion with an apt rejoinder that Kenya is a hotbed of culture...and something else....well in Sir, well in - and of course Uhurus speech was on point!! His people stepped up to the plate on this one!!
Obama of course laid a wreath at the 1998 bombblast site and zoomed to statehouse for bilateral talks...I often wonder how these talks are done.....they look so formal.....the two sides are seating far apart, and even have microphones?? do they discuss, or just give each other positions and the rest take it up? do the others speak or only the Presidents?? are they timed, or go one until a compromise is reached?? I wonder....mmmhhhh.....
A press briefing followed and President Obama admits that he didn't know many of the family but will be glad to reconnect with them as a private citizen. Then in response to a journalist question on LGBTI he gave his view that he doesn't believe in discrimination on basis of any kind - this he had mentioned earlier to BBC in an interview that preceded his visit to Kenya......President Uhuru gave, I must say, a diplomatic and firm rejoinder....that for now, that is not a priority, we have bigger issues to deal with and focus on.
Evening was state dinner, nice seeing them dancing to sura yako mzuri mamaaaa......by Sauti Sol...and of course the wide smiles given when taking a lovely photo with Raila and Idah....
Sunday, he was off to Ethiopia, but before that....he addressed the nation via live broadcast and he was introduced by his sister Dr Auma Obama who said she waited 27 years for him to return the favour of riding in her VW Beatle, and now a ride in the Beast!! It was a warm speech - I loved it....and then a few hrs with civil society at KU - big lessons in making a pitch and I think Fauziah Ali and Linet (future Cardiologist) of Pangani, nailed it!!!
ehhh back to the grind....obamahangover!!
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