Kenya’s omission from President Obama’s Africa itinerary does not signify a downgrading of Washington’s relationship with Nairobi, a White House official said on Friday.
President Obama is due to visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania next week in an Africa tour that will bypass Kenya, his ancestral homeland.
“The Kenyan people just hold a very special place in the president’s heart,” declared Ben Rhodes, spokesman for the US National Security Council.
“The close partnership the US has had with Kenya for decades will certainly continue,” Mr Rhodes said.
The official was speaking at a press briefing in response to a reporter’s question of whether Mr Obama’s decision to bypass Kenya is tied to the International Criminal Court case involving President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.
“We respect the sovereign right of the Kenyan people to choose their own leaders,” Mr Rhodes said. The US will work with President Kenyatta.”
Making reference to the ICC indictments, Mr Rhodes further commented: “It wasn’t the best time for the president to travel to Kenya at this point.”
“The Kenyan government will continue to work through the issues it has with the international community,” he said.
In response to a separate question as to whether Mama Sarah might meet Mr Obama during his visit to Tanzania, Mr Rhodes said: “I am not aware of any plans to see his grandmother.”
The spokesman noted that Auma Obama, the president’s Kenyan half-sister, had attended Mr Obama’s recent speech in Berlin as well as the state dinner
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