President Barack Obama at the Safaricom Gymnasium, Kasarani on Sunday urged Kenyans to “choose the path to progress” by continuing to root out corruption, confront terrorism and be more inclusive of women and girls.
Closing out a historic visit to the land of his father’s birth, Obama said Kenya has come so far in just his lifetime, but can go even further.
“You can choose the path to progress, but it requires making some important choices,” he said in a speech to several thousand Kenyans packed into an indoor arena here in Kenya’s capital, a normally bustling place that largely has been on lockdown during Obama’s stay.
He praised the country for emerging from the ethnic violence that erupted after the disputed 2007 election. President Obama also warned that the “cancer” of corruption was costing the country 250,000 jobs.
However, he condemned the repression of women – including female genital mutilation and forced marriage, which he said did not belong in the 21st Century – adding that the best use of development aid was to spend it on girls’ education. He also urged Kenya to “embrace diversity”, a clear reference to gay rights.
