By Robert Ocholla
Kenya’s greatest, most famous and popular expatriate, American President Barack Obama is on his first major African tour. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on which section and tribal affiliation you belong to in this powerful East African Country he won’t even make a stopover for some Lake Victoria Tilapia in his Fatherland.
In the African society, families are close knit and not only the nuclear family but also the extended. It might include the whole village too. It is an abomination for a close relative to come visit a neighbour and not pay his family a visit. Thus Obama, a son of the African soil snubbing Kenya is like a taboo in many African communities.
But why is Obama snubbing his fatherland? The main reason simply is that Kenya’s current president, Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are facing charges for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Obama breaking bread and toasting with them might not augur well with America’s foreign policy.
Kenya is such a tribal conscious that many whose minds fall within the bigotry level believe that Obama is a staunch ally of opposition leader Raila Odinga because they come from the same tribe. Some believe that Obama is missing out on Kenya in solidarity with Odinga’s claim that the March election was rigged against him. There is word that some Kenyans especially from his Luo tribe, have already packed their bags and will be heading to Tanzania for the Obama festivities.
Nevertheless, compared to other immediate former American presidents i.e. Bush and Clinton, Obama fairs badly when it comes to “providing” for Africa. As a matter of fact Africans considers Clinton as a brother and Bush as a cousin.
Obama will visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania but the whole continent with an empty plate extended outwards, is waiting to see what Obama will drop in.
