Excitement is growing. Kenya’s Luo people – the tribe of Obama’s father, who come from the western region towards the border with Uganda – are particularly proud, holding a recent celebration of music and dancing, dubbed the Luo Obama Festival.
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Pope Francis’ expected arrival in November is a second such highlight this year, and tourism marketers will no doubt want to latch on to that visit, too, and make the most hay of it they can.
“It is not enough, but we have nothing else to do”, said 19-year old Jeremiah Wekesa, grumbling at his salary, but adding he is excited at the visit.
Establishing direct flights between Kenya and the United States would also be on the agenda of the visit, as the lack of such a direct transport link was hurting business and tourism, Mr Kenyatta said.
“Anti gay caucus committee in Parliament, Christian members of Parliament, the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, together with the Kenya Christian Professional Forum (KCPF) invite you to for a ‘March for the Family” (anti-gay march) on Monday, 6th July, 2015 to be flagged off by Bishop Mark Kariuki and David Kamau at 9am. He leads an alliance representing 38,000 churches and 10 million Kenyan Christians.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi apparently shares my confidence in Kenyan security, electing to wear a bullet-proof vest on his visit to see Kenyatta last week. “But about our beliefs and culture- keep off!”
July 9: Gay couple evicted in Kabete estate as public debate on Obama and gay rights heightens. The letter urges the President to take a number of specific steps to combat the culture of impunity to help forge an enabling environment for peace negotiations.
“The family is the strength of a nation”. So we discussed it and said, let’s go to Kenya: there are some great things happening in Kenya. “We are expecting exchange programmes between American schools and our school”.
“And I will tell him: ‘Adhi maber, nyakwara”, she said, meaning, ‘I’m fine, my grandson.’.
As a participant in an African Union force in Somalia, Kenya is already one of the top recipients of USA counter-terrorism funding in Africa, and the USA also provides training to the Kenyan police force.
Homophobia is on the rise across much of Africa and homosexuality remains illegal in many countries, including Kenya where it was outlawed under British colonial legislation.
In Kenya, homosexuality is punishable by up to 14 years of imprisonment. Kenya is 82 percent Christian. “That Kenya is the proposed recipient of these funds, from investors of such expertise and seniority, shows that our partners overseas have come to rely on our strong culture of entrepreneurial culture, and our strong institutions that support investment”, the presidency said in a statement. But this week Obama’s Kenyan ties can be used to his political advantage during his paternal homecoming. And the problem is readily on display for visitors who are subjected to half-hearted security searches throughout the country.
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“We are continuing to rapidly cut down on red tape, to root out rent seeking, to deliver cheaper, more accessible power, transforming our road and railway network to reduce your transport costs, strengthening security and investing in higher quality, more widely accessible education modelled to increase marketable skills”, he said.
