PRESIDENT OF THE United States Barack Obama has arrived on his state visit to Kenya and has been catching up with members of his extended family.
This latest trip will see President Obama visit Kenya and Ethiopia – making his the first sitting President to do so.
Air Force One arrived in Nairobi’s international airport shortly after 8pm local time (5pm GMT) where he was greeted by his half-sister Auma Obama.
Also greeting him at the airport was Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and other government officials.
In recent days he has outlined his intention to speak out in favour of gay rights.
In an interview with the BBC, he stated that he is “not a fan of discrimination” and would be blunt with African leaders on the issue.
President Obama has other relatives in the country, including his half-brother Malik Obama. He has said that while the current trip will be “symbolically important”, he doubted whether it would match the political significance of his first visit to the country in 1988.
Over the next two days Obama will remain in the capital of Nairobi where he will be attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and speak to civil society leaders.
Despite the heavy security operation involved in the journey, his visit is highly anticipated in the region, similar to the large crowds that were drawn during his last visit as a senator in 2006.
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