Obama visit fever grips Kenya

Kampala- Preparations for US President Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya are in high gear. The first Black President of the US is set to arrive in the Kenyan Capital Nairobi on Friday where he will grace the Global Entrepreneur Summit that will be attended by several business moguls and global corporations.

Mr Obama, who is born to a Kenyan father is making his first visit to the country since he became US President. His last visit to Kenya was in 2006 as a senator.

Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta said the summit was a celebration of Kenya’s entrepreneurs and business people who, through their hard work and perseverance, are driving the nation to ever greater heights.

“The eyes of the world will be on Kenya, and I am excited to note that a fifth of the entrepreneurs taking part will be Kenyans. As the world comes to our doorstep, to see the Kenya that is increasingly profiled as a leading hub of innovation and openness to business, it is only right we should take every opportunity to showcase the very best of our nation’s ideas,” Mr Kenyatta posted on his Facebook page.

As preparations for the visit take full force, Mr Obama’s motorcade yesterday fuelled at Shell fuel stations.

The vehicles were an instant attraction at a Shell Fuel Station in Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood, with speculation that “The Beast”, a bulletproof limousine that Mr Obama travels in, was one of them.

“Barrack Obama’s vehicle “The Beast” and his escort vehicles just fuelled today at Shell Westview in Nairobi. We are very proud of this,” said Cerinah Zalwango, Vivo Uganda’s communications managers.

On Tuesday, US military helicopters that landed at Kenyatta University where he is expected to make a speech excited students.

Key roads and other roads leading to the city are set to be closed throughout Friday during the visit. The city has been given a major facelift with pavements being given a fresh coat of paint and the grass planted all over.

The grass plaiting, though, turned into a mockery as Kenyans made fun of the delayed preparations by the Nairobi governor Eden Kidero, on his last minute efforts to make the city picturesque.

It was reported that the city has been cleaned with people living on streets relocated, and a budget of KShs40 million (Shs1.3 billion) set aside to ensure President Obama finds the city spotless.

Preamble to the visit

The country has been caught in some what a circus frenzy with some crazy stories coming up, such as the 5,000 men and women who threatened to strip naked if Mr Obama made any statements about homosexuality which is considered illegal in the country though i legal in USA.

Also, Mr Babu Owino, the Nairobi University Student’s Association leader, wrote to the US Embassy demanding for President Obama to visit his university.

He wrote that 18 students had threatened to commit suicide while 31 female students would urinate on a tree planted by Barrack Obama in 2006, should he fail to visit the institution.

When US military helicopters landed at their rival institute Jomo Kenyatta University, cementing the fact that he was not going to UoN the students set the Obama tree ablaze.

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