US-Senator Obama visited Kenya. The media were full about his visit. What surprised me most, was that Obama spoke out about a lot of things and that his ideas were taken just as if he was a veteran statesman. But he wasn’t, It felt just as if he was hired to do so. But is a US-senator supposed to criticize the government of the country where his father was born? Obama’s only connection with Kenya is, that his father migrated to the United States long time ago, but he was received like a long lost son. He criticized the government of president Kibaki, he criticized tribalism and he criticized the raid on newspaper The Standard this year. Why did he not promote Kenyan business in the United States, but instead choose to go with the Kenyan political flow? This is exactly that what Kenyans have had enough of these days? Why am I writing this? Because for me it confirms the idea that Kenyans are in desperate need of a hero, a myth that as a relative outsider can put things in a way that people listen to. South Africa had Mandela. Kenya now is dreaming about their own Mandela with Obama. The problem is, that Obama has nothing to do with Kenya, unless he migrates back to his fathers roots and comes to save ‘his’ country.
Recently discovered your blog, and added you to my list for Blog Day 2006. Thanks for the engaging entries. Hope more folks will discover you and other African bloggers, and get some news straight from the source.
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SoundRoots.org
Hallo Arjan
There you have a clear cut point, kenyan sure need someone to tell them the truth, I did listen to Senator Obama Speech in University of Nairobi and I did like the Quote of economic comparative of difference in Economic development between kenya and Singapore which were at bar 20 each ago but but are 40 times higher than kenya today.
If a kenyan will telling he has not Vote in three consecutive Elections and the only reason as to why he can not vote is that He does not see any leader in the current worth Voting for.
regards
Weldon
Interesting perspect, Arjen, thanks for sharing it.
From my perch (in Canada) Obama is definitely a rising star. The state of politics in North America is at an all-time low. In an era where so many people are disenchanted with the performance of the president, you would expect it would be an easy matter for the Democratics to take advantage, but they are in disarray. I think Obama is the future, but perhaps note quite yet.