Obama: African Entrepreneurs Are Vital To The Continent’s Growth

U.S. President Barack Obama told African entrepreneurs in Kenya on Saturday they could help counter violent ideologies and drive growth in Africa, and said governments had to assist by ensuring the rule of law was upheld and by tackling corruption.

Obama was addressing a Global Entrepreneurship Summit at the start of the first visit by a serving U.S. president to Kenya, his father’s homeland and the biggest economy in east Africa, which has suffered attacks by Somali Islamist group al Shabaab.

Security was expected to top talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, where Obama received his official welcome with a gun salute. Kenyatta called the United States a “very strong supporter of Kenya” before closed discussions.

The talks at State House were attended by Deputy President William Ruto, who is facing charges at the International Criminal Court that he fomented ethnic killings after Kenya’s disputed 2007 election. He denies the charges. Kenyatta had faced similar charges, but the charges have since been dropped.

Obama is keen to boost business ties with Africa, where China overtook the United States as the continent’s biggest trade partner in 2009.