Obama in Africa: I’m Proud To Be First Kenyan-American President

NBC News – by Chris Jansing

NAIROBI, Kenya — President Barack Obama spoke proudly of his Kenyan heritage before a raucous and affectionate crowd in Nairobi on Sunday.

“I am proud to be the first American president to come to Kenya, and of course I’m the first Kenyan-American to be president of the United States,” he told the packed sports hall in Nairobi. It is the time he referred to himself as such.  

The president recalled his first trip at the age of 27 when he arrived at the airport and tried to find his luggage. A woman who saw his name asked if Obama was related to his father, whom she had known, Obama said.

“That was the first time my name meant something and that it was recognized,” the president said. He went on to meet “brothers, aunts and uncles … saw the graves of my grandfather and father.”

Obama’s father is buried in western Kenya.

The personal quickly gave way to the practical and political, with Obama pledging to stand by Kenya as it battles terrorism and calling on all Kenyans to stamp out corruption.

“Every shilling that’s a bribe could be put in the pockets of someone doing an honest day’s work,” he said.

He also mentioned the importance of educating women and recognizing their place in society.

“Treating women as second class citizens is a bad tradition — it’s holding you back,” he said. “Imagine if you have a team and you don’t let half of the team play — that’s stupid.”

Image: Barack Obama

The barriers could hardly hold back the crowds after Obama’s 45-minute speech.

After Kenya, Obama will travel to Ethiopia, which was brought to its knees in the 1980s by a famine but now has one of the fastest growth rates on the continent.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/obama-africa-im-proud-be-first-kenyan-american-president-n398571

13 thoughts on “Obama in Africa: I’m Proud To Be First Kenyan-American President

  1. It’s kind of strange that NBC would be reporting this after years of denying it.

    I guess that since his term is almost over anyway, it’s more important to get us accustomed to the idea of foreign-born presidents.

    1. my mistake — not enough coffee in me yet. The article describes him as “Kenyan-American” rather than foreign born.

      1. Ahahah there JR! This is Orwell’s world remember? Double speak applies: KENYAN-american. Not AFRICAN-american but KENYAN. First time I have ever heard of someone calling themselves NATION-nation. It is always CONTINENT-nation or RACE-nation.

        Double speak JR, you had it spot on the first time around.

  2. This is Orwell’s world remember? Double speak applies: KENYAN-american. Not AFRICAN-american but KENYAN. First time I have ever heard of someone calling themselves NATION-nation. It is always CONTINENT-nation or RACE-nation.

    They just threw it in our faces while keeping their “plausible deniability” somewhat intact to the idiot population.

  3. What;s ironic is Obumer who is an Marxist along the lines of Lincoln makes the Stupid taxpayers, pay for his AF-1 crew and gassing, were will he go play golf next?

  4. Funny how his right arm in the picture makes him look like he’s Hitler or that he’s grasping something using telekinetic powers.

  5. Mister Obama, you are not a American anything. You are more of a Adolf Hitler inspired communist wannabe that paid for the American Presidential position with funding that came from the elite child molesters of the world. Now you and your family are acting like a family of inner city Blacks that just won the lottery.

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