PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hey!
AUDIENCE: Hey!
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Habari
Zenu! (Applause.) Wakenya mpo? (Applause.) It is great to be back in Kenya.
Thank you so much for this extraordinary welcome. I
know it took a few years, but as President, I try to keep my promises, and I
said I was going to come, and I am here. (Applause.)
Everybody, go ahead and
have a seat. I am going to be talking for a while. (Laughter.) Relax.
I want to thank my
sister, Auma, for a wonderful introduction. I am so glad that she could be with
us here today. And it was -- as she said, it was Auma who first guided me
through Kenya almost 30 years ago.
To President Kenyatta,
I want to thank you once again for the hospitality that you’ve shown to me --
(applause) -- and for our work together on this visit, and for being here
today. It is a great honour.
I am proud to be the
first American President to come to Kenya -- (applause) -- and, of course, I am
the first Kenyan-American to be President of the United States. (Laughter and
applause.) That goes without saying.
 |
| President Obama at Kasarani |
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love
you, Obama!
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I love
you back. (Applause.) I do.
But, as Auma was
saying, the first time I came to Kenya, things were a little different. When I
arrived at Kenyatta Airport, the airline lost my bags. (Laughter.) That does
not happen on Air Force One. (Laughter.) They always have my luggage on Air
Force One. (Laughter.) As she said, Auma picked me up in an old Volkswagen
Beetle, and think the entire stay I was here it broke down four or five times.
(Laughter.) We would be on the highway, we would have to call the juakali, -- and
he would bring us tools. We would be sitting there, waiting. And I slept on a
cot in her apartment. Instead of eating at fancy banquets with the President,
we were drinking tea and eating Ugali -- (laughter) -- and Sukumawiki.
So there was not a lot
of luxury. Sometimes the lights would go out. They still do -- is that what
someone said? (Laughter.) But there was something more important than luxury on
that first trip, and that was a sense of being recognized, being seen. I was a
young man and I was just a few years out of University. I had worked as a
community organizer in low-income neighbourhoods in Chicago. I was about to go
to law school. And when I came here, in many ways I was a Westerner, I was an
American, unfamiliar with my father and his birthplace, really disconnected
from half of my heritage. And at that airport, as I was trying to find my
luggage, there was a woman there, who worked for the airlines, and she was
helping fill out the forms, and she saw my name and she looked up and she asked
if I was related to my father, who she had known. And that was the first time
that my name meant something. (Applause.) And that was recognized.
And over the course of
several weeks, I would meet my brothers, aunts, and uncles. I travelled to
Alego, the village where my family was from. I saw the graves of my father and
my grandfather. And I learned things about their lives that I could have never
learned through books. And in many ways, their lives offered snapshots of
Kenya’s history, but they also told us something about the future.
My grandfather, for
example, he was a cook for the British. And as I went through some of his
belongings when I went up-country, I found the passbook he had had to carry as
a domestic servant. It listed his age and his height, his tribe, listed the
number of teeth he had missing. (Laughter.) And he was referred to as a boy,
even though he was a grown man, in that passbook.
And he was in the
King’s African Rifles during the Second World War, and was taken to the far
reaches of the British Empire -- all the way to Burma. And back home after the
war, he was eventually detained for a time because he was linked to a group
that opposed British rule. And eventually he was released. He forged a home for
himself and his family. He earned the respect of his village, lived a life of
dignity -- although he had a well-earned reputation for being so strict that
everybody was scared of him and he became estranged from part of his family.
So that was his story.
And then my father came of age as Kenyans were pursuing independence, and he
was proud to be a part of that liberation generation. And next to my
grandfather’s papers, I found letters that he had written to 30 American
universities asking for a chance to pursue his dream and get a scholarship. And
ultimately, one university gave him that chance -- the University in Hawaii.
And he would go on to get an education and then return home.
And here, at first he
found success as an economist and worked with the government. But ultimately,
he found disappointment -- in part, because he couldn't reconcile the ideas
that he had for his young country with the hard realities that had confronted
him.
And I think sometimes
about what these stories tell us, what the history and the past tell us about
the future. They show the enormous barriers to progress that so many Kenyans
faced just one or two generations ago. This is a young country. We were talking
last night at dinner -- the President’s father was the first President. We are
only a generation removed. And the daily limitations -- and sometimes
humiliations -- of colonialism -- that is recent history. The corruption,
cronyism, and tribalism that sometimes confront young nations -- that is recent
history.
But what these stories
also tell us is an arch of progress -- from foreign rule to independence; from
isolation to education, and engagement with a wider world. It speaks of
incredible progress. So we have to know the history of Kenya, just as we
Americans have to know our American history. All people have to understand
where they come from. But we also have to remember why these lessons are
important.
We know a history so
that we can learn from it. We learn our history because we understand the
sacrifices that were made before, so that when we make sacrifices we understand
we're doing it on behalf of future generations.
There is a proverb that
says, “We have not inherited this land from our forebears, we have borrowed it
from our children.” In other words, we study the past so it can guide us into
the future, and inspire us to do better.
And when it comes to
the people of Kenya -- particularly the youth -- I believe there is no limit to
what you can achieve. A young, ambitious Kenyan today should not have to do
what my grandfather did, and serve a foreign master. You do not need to do what
my father did, and leave your home in order to get a good education and access
to opportunity. Because of Kenya’s progress, because of your potential, you can
build your future right here, right now. (Applause.)
Now, like any country,
Kenya is far from perfect, but it has come so far in just my lifetime. After a
bitter struggle, Kenyans claimed their independence just a few years after I
was born. And after decades of one party-rule, Kenya embraced a multi-party
system in the 1990s, just as I was beginning my own political career in the
United States.
Tragically, just under
a decade ago, Kenya was nearly torn apart by violence at the same time that I
was running for my first campaign for President. And I remember hearing the
reports of thousands of innocent people being killed or driven from their
homes. And from a distance, it seemed like the Kenya that I knew -- a Kenya that
was able to reach beyond ethnic and tribal lines -- that it might split apart
across those lines of tribe and ethnicity.
But look what happened.
The people of Kenya chose not to be defined by the hatreds of the past -- you
chose a better history. (Applause.) The voices of ordinary people, and
political leaders and civil society did not eliminate all these divisions, but
you addressed the divisions and differences peacefully. And a new constitution
was put in place, declaring that “every person has inherent dignity -- and the
right to have that dignity respected and protected.” A competitive election
went forward -- not without problems, but without the violence that so many had
feared. In other words, Kenyans chose to stay together. You chose the path of Harambee.
(Applause.)
And in part because of
this political stability, Kenya’s economy is also emerging -- and the
entrepreneurial spirit that people rely on to survive in the streets of Kibera
can now be seen in new businesses across the country. (Applause.) From the city
square to the smallest villages, Mpesa is changing the way people use money.
New investment is making Kenya a hub for regional trade. When I came here as a
U.S. senator, I pointed out that South Korea’s economy was the same as Kenya’s
when I was born, and then was 40 times larger than Kenya’s. Think about that.
It started at the same place -- South Korea had gone here, and Kenya was here.
But today, that gap has been cut in half just in the last decade. (Applause.)
Which means Kenya is making progress.
And meanwhile, Kenya
continues to carve out a distinct place in the community of nations: As a
source of peacekeepers for places torn apart by conflict, a host for refugees
driven from their homes. A leader for conservation, following the footprints of
Wangari Maathai. (Applause.) Kenya is one of the places on this continent that
truly observes freedom of the press, and their fearless journalists and
courageous civil society members. And in the United States, we see the legacy
of Kip Keino every time a Kenyan wins one of our marathons. (Applause.) And
maybe the First Lady of Kenya is going to win one soon. (Laughter and
applause.) I told the President he has to start running with his wife.
(Laughter.) We want him to stay fit. (Laughter.)
So there is much to be
proud of -- much progress to lift up. It is a good-news story. But we also know
the progress is not complete. There are still problems that shadow ordinary
Kenyans every day -- challenges that can deny you your livelihood, and
sometimes deny you lives.
As in America -- and so
many countries around the globe --, economic growth has not always been broadly
shared. Sometimes people at the top do very well, but ordinary people still
struggle. Today, a young child in Nyanza Province is four times more likely to
die than a child in Central Province -- even though they are equal in dignity
and the eyes of God. That is a gap that has to be closed. (Applause.) A girl in
Rift Valley is far less likely to attend secondary school than a girl in
Nairobi. That is a gap that has to be closed. (Applause.) Across the country,
one study shows corruption costs Kenyans 250,000 jobs every year -- because
every shilling that’s paid as a bribe could be put into the pocket of somebody
who’s actually doing an honest day’s work. (Applause.)
And despite the
hard-earned political progress that I spoke of, those political gains still
have to be protected. New laws and restrictions could close off the space where
civil society gives individual citizens a voice and holds leaders accountable.
Old tribal divisions and ethnic divisions can still be stirred up. I want to be
very clear here -- a politics that is based solely on tribe and ethnicity is a
politics that is doomed to tear a country apart. (Applause.) It is a failure --
a failure of imagination.
Of course, here, in
Kenya, we also know the spectre of terrorism has touched far too many lives.
And we remember the Americans and Kenyans who died side by side in the attack
on our embassy in the ‘90s. We remember the innocent Kenyans who were taken
from us at Westgate Mall. We weep for the nearly 150 people slaughtered at
Garissa -- including so many students who had such a bright future before them.
We honour the memory of so many other innocent Kenyans whose lives have been
lost in this struggle.
So Kenya is at a
crossroads -- a moment filled with peril, but also enormous promise. And with
the rest of my time here today, I would like to talk about how you can seize
the moment; how you can make sure, we leave behind a world that is better -- a
world that we borrowed from our children.
When I first came to
sub-Saharan Africa as President, I made clear my strong belief that the future
of Africa is up to Africans. (Applause.) For too long, I think that many looked
to the outside for salvation and focused on somebody else being at fault for
the problems of the continent. And as my sister said, ultimately we are each
responsible for our own destiny. And I am here as President of a country that
sees Kenya as an important partner. (Applause.) I am here as a friend who wants
Kenya to succeed.
And the pillars of that
success are clear: Strong democratic governance; development that provides
opportunity for all people and not just some; a sense of national identity that
rejects conflict for a future of peace and reconciliation.
And today, we can see
that future for Kenya on the horizon. But tough choices are going to have to be
made in order to arrive at that destination. In the United States, I always say
that what makes America exceptional is not the fact that we are perfect, it is
the fact that we struggle to improve. We are self-critical. We work to live up
to our highest values and ideals, knowing that we're not always going to
achieve them perfectly, but we keep on trying to perfect our union.
And what is true for
America is also true for Kenya. You cannot be complacent and accept the world
just as it is. You have to imagine what the world might be and then push and
work toward that future. Progress requires that you honestly confront the dark
corners of our own past; extend rights and opportunities to more of your
citizens; see the differences and diversity of this country as a strength, just
as we in America try to see the diversity of our country as a strength and not
a weakness. So you can choose the path to progress, but it requires making some
important choices.
First and foremost, it
means continuing down the path of a strong, more inclusive, more accountable
and transparent democracy. (Applause.)
Democracy begins with a
peacefully elected government. It begins with elections. But it does not stop
with elections. (Applause.) So your constitution offers a road map to
governance that is more responsive to the people -- through protections against
unchecked power, more power in the hands of local communities. For this system
to succeed, there also has to be space for citizens to exercise their rights.
And we saw the strength
of Kenya’s civil society in the last election, when groups collected reports of
incitement so that violence could be stopped before it spun out of control. And
the ability of citizens to organize and advocate for change -- that is the
oxygen upon which democracy depends. Democracy is sometimes messy, and for
leaders, sometimes it is frustrating. Democracy means that somebody is always
complaining about something. (Laughter.) Nobody is ever happy in a democracy
about their government. If you make one person happy, somebody else is unhappy.
Then sometimes somebody who you made happy, later on, now they are not happy.
(Laughter.) They say, what have you done for me lately? (Laughter.) But that is
the nature of democracy. That is why it works, is because it is constantly
challenging leaders to up their game and to do better.
And such civic
participation and freedom is also essential for rooting out the cancer of
corruption. Now, I want to be clear. Corruption is not unique to Kenya.
(Laughter.) I mean, I want everybody to understand that there is no country that
is completely free of corruption. Certainly here in the African continent,
there are many countries that deal with this problem. And I want to assure you
I speak about it wherever I go, not just here in Kenya. So I do not want
everybody to get too sensitive. (Laughter.)
But the fact is, too
often, here in Kenya -- as is true in other places -- corruption is tolerated
because that is how things have always been done. People just think that that
is sort of the normal state of affairs. And there was a time in the United
States where that was true, too. My hometown of Chicago was infamous for Al
Capone and the Mob and organized crime corrupting law enforcement. But what
happened was that over time, people got fed up, and leaders stood up and they
said, we're not going to play that game anymore. (Applause.) And you changed a
culture and you changed habits.
Here in Kenya, it is
time to change habits, and decisively break that cycle. Because corruption holds,
back every aspect of economic and civil life. It is an anchor that weighs you
down and prevents you from achieving what you could. If you need to pay a bribe
and hire somebody’s brother -- who’s not very good and doesn’t come to work --
in order to start a business, well, that’s going to create less jobs for
everybody. If electricity is going to one neighbourhood because they are well
connected, and not another neighbourhood, that is going to limit development of
the country as a whole. (Applause.) If someone in public office is taking a cut
that they do not deserve, that is taking away from those who are paying their
fair share.
So this is not just
about changing one law -- although it is important to have laws on the books
that are actually being enforced. It is important that not only low-level
corruption is punished, but folks at the top, if they are taking from the
people, that has to be addressed as well. (Applause.) But it is not something
that is just fixed by laws, or that any one person can fix. It requires a
commitment by the entire nation -- leaders and citizens -- to change habits and
to change culture. (Applause.)
Tough laws need to be
on the books. And the good news is, your government is taking some important
steps in the right direction. People who break the law and violate the public
trust need to be prosecuted. NGOs have to be allowed to operate who shine a spotlight
on what needs to change. And ordinary people have to stand up and say, enough
is enough. (Applause.) It is time for a better future.
And as you take these
steps, I promise that America will continue to be your partner in supporting
investments in strong, democratic institutions. (Applause.)
Now, we are also going
to work with you to pursue the second pillar of progress, and that is
development that extends economic opportunity and dignity for all of Kenya’s
people.
America partners with
Kenya in areas where you’re making enormous progress, and we focus on what
Kenyans can do for themselves and building capacity; on entrepreneurship, where
Kenya is becoming an engine for innovation; on access to power, where Kenya is
developing clean energy that can reach more people; on the important issue of
climate change, where Kenya’s recent goal to reduce its emissions has put it in
the position of being a leader on the continent; on food security, where Kenyan
crops are producing more to meet the demands of your people and a global
market; and on health, where Kenya has struck huge blows against HIV/AIDS and
other diseases, while building up the capacity to provide better care in your
communities.
America is also
partnering with you on an issue that is fundamental to Kenya’s future: We are
investing in youth. (Applause.) We are investing in the young people of Kenya
and the young people of this continent. Robert F. Kennedy once said, “It is a
revolutionary world that we live in,” and “it is the young people who must take
the lead.” (Applause.) It is the young people who must take the lead.
So through our Young
African Leaders Initiative -- (applause) -- we are empowering and connecting
young people from across the continent who are filled with energy and optimism
and idealism, and are going to take Africa to new heights. (Applause.) And
these young people, they are not weighted down by the old ways. They are
creating a new path. And these are the elements for success in this 21st
century.
To continue down this
path of progress, it will be vital for Kenya to recognize that no country can
achieve its full potential unless it draws on the talents of all its people --
and that must include the half of Kenyans -- maybe a little more than half
--who are women and girls. (Applause.) Now, I am going to spend a little time
on this just for a second. Every country and every culture has traditions that
are unique and help make that country what it is. But just because something is,
a part of your past does not make it right. It does not mean that it defines
your future.
Look at us in the
United States. Recently, we have been having a debate about the Confederate
flag. Some of you may be familiar with this. This was a symbol for those states
who fought against the Union to preserve slavery. Now, as a historical artefact,
it is important. But some have argued that it is just a symbol of heritage that
should fly in public spaces. The fact is it was a flag that flew over an army
that fought to maintain a system of slavery and racial subjugation. So we
should understand our history, but we should also recognize that it sends a bad
message to those who were liberated from slavery and oppression.
And in part because of
an unspeakable tragedy that took place recently, where a young man who was a
fan of the Confederate flag and racial superiority shot helpless people in a
church, more and more Americans of all races are realizing now that that flag
should come down. (Applause.) Just because something is, a tradition does not
make it right.
Well, so around the
world, there is a tradition of repressing women and treating them differently,
and not giving them the same opportunities, and husbands beating their wives,
and children not being sent to school. Those are traditions. Treating women and
girls as second-class citizens, those are bad traditions. They need to change.
(Applause.) They are holding you back.
Treating women as
second-class citizens is a bad tradition. It holds you back. (Applause.) There
is no excuse for sexual assault or domestic violence. There is no reason that
young girls should suffer genital mutilation. There is no place in civilized
society for the early or forced marriage of children. These traditions may date
back centuries; they have no place in the 21st century. (Applause.)
These are issues of
right and wrong -- in any culture. But they are also issues of success and
failure. Any nation that fails to educate its girls or employ its women and
allowing them to maximize their potential is doomed to fall behind in a global
economy. (Applause.)
You know, we are in a
sports centre. Imagine if you have a team and you do not let half of the team
play. (Laughter.) That is stupid. (Laughter and applause.) That makes no sense.
And the evidence shows that communities that give their daughters the same
opportunities as their sons, they are more peaceful, they are more prosperous,
they develop faster, they are more likely to succeed. (Applause.) That is true
in America. That is true here in Kenya. It does not matter.
And that is why one of
the most successful development policies you can pursue is giving girls and
education, and removing the obstacles that stand between them and their dreams.
And by the way, if you educate girls -- they grow up to be moms -- and they,
because they are educated, are more likely to produce educated children.
(Applause.) So Kenya will not succeed if it treats women and girls as
second-class citizens. I want to be very clear about that. (Applause.)
Now, this leads me to
the third pillar of progress, and that is choosing a future of peace and
reconciliation.
There are real threats
out there. President Kenyatta and I spent a lot of time discussing the serious
threat from al-Shabaab that Kenya faces. The United States faces similar
threats of terrorism. We are grateful for the sacrifices made by Kenyans on the
front lines as part of AMISOM. (Applause.) We are proud of the efforts that we
are making to strengthen Kenya’s capabilities through our new Security
Governance Initiative. We are going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you in
this fight against terrorism for as long as it takes. (Applause.)
But, as I mentioned
yesterday, it is important to remember that violent extremists want us to turn
against one another. That is what terrorists typically try to exploit. They
know that they are a small minority; they know that they cannot win
conventionally. So what they try to do is target societies where they can
exploit divisions. That is what happens in Iraq. That is what happens around
the world. That is what happened in Northern Ireland. Terrorists who try to sow
chaos, they must be met with force and they must also be met, though, with a
forceful commitment to uphold the rule of law, and respect for human rights,
and to treat everybody who’s peaceful and law-abiding fairly and equally.
(Applause.)
Extremists who prey on
distrust must be defeated by communities who stand together and stand for
something different. And the most important example here is, is that the United
States and Kenya both have Muslim minorities, but those minorities make
enormous contributions to our countries. These are our brothers, they are our
sisters. (Applause.) And so in both our countries, we have to reject calls that
allow us to be divided.
This is true for any
diverse society. And Kenya is rich with diversity -- with many dozens of tribes
and ethnicities, and languages and religious groups. And time and again, just
as we have seen the dangers of religious or ethnic violence, we have seen that
Kenya is stronger when Kenyans stand united -- with a sense of national
identity. That was the case on December 12, 1963, when cities and villages
across this country celebrated the birth of a nation. It was true in 2010, when
Kenya replaced the anarchy of ethnic violence with the order of a new
constitution. (Applause.)
So we can all
appreciate our own identities, our bloodlines, our beliefs, our backgrounds --
that tapestry is what makes us who we are. But the history of Africa -- which
is both the cradle of human progress and a crucible of conflict -- shows us
that when define ourselves narrowly, in opposition to somebody just because
they’re of a different tribe, or race, or religion -- and we ignore who is a
good person or a bad person, are they working hard or not, are they honest or
not, are they peaceful or violent -- when we start making distinctions solely
based on status and not what people do, then we're taking the wrong path and we
inevitably suffer in the end. (Applause.)
This is why Martin
Luther King called on people to be judged not by the colour of their skin but
the content of their character. (Applause.) And in the same way, people should
not be judged by their last name, or their religious faith, but by their
content of their character and how they behave. Are they good citizens? Are
they good people?
In the United States,
we embrace the motto: E Pluribus Unum. In Latin, that means, out of many, one.
In Kenya, Harambee -- we are in this together. Whatever the challenge, you will
be stronger if you face it not as Christians or Muslims, Masai, Kikuyu, Luo,
any other tribe -- but as Kenyans. And ultimately, that unity is the source of
strength that will empower you to seize this moment of promise. That is what
will help you root out corruption. (Applause.) That is what will strengthen
democratic institutions. That is what will help you combat inequality. That is
what will help you extend opportunity, educate youth, face down threats, and
embrace reconciliation.
So I want to say
particularly to the young people here today, Kenya is on the move. Africa is on
the move. You are poised to play a bigger role in this world -- (applause) --
as the shadows of the past are replaced by the light that you offer an
increasingly interconnected world. And in the light of this new day, we have to
learn to see ourselves in one another. We have to see that we are connected,
our fates are bound together. Because, in the end, we are all part of one tribe
-- the human tribe. (Applause.) And no matter who we are, or where we come
from, or what we look like, or who we love, or what God we worship, we're
connected. Our fates are bound up with one another.
Kenya holds within it
all that diversity. And with diversity, sometimes comes difficulty. But I look
to Kenya’s future filled with hope. And I am hopeful because of you, the people
of Kenya, especially the young people.
There are some amazing
examples of what’s going on right now with young people. I am hopeful because
of a young man named Richard Ruto Todosia. Richard helped build Yes Youth Can
-- I like the phrase, Yes Youth Can -- (applause.) It became one of the most
prominent civil society organizations in Kenya, with over one million members.
And after the violence of 2007, 2008, Yes Youth Can stood up to incitement, helped
bring opportunity to young people in places that were scarred by conflict. That
is the kind of young leadership that we need. (Applause.)
I am hopeful because of
a young woman named Josephine Kulea. (Applause.) So Josephine founded Samburu
Girls Foundation. And she has already helped to rescue over 1,000 girls from
abuse and forced marriage, and helped place them in schools. (Applause.) A
member of the Samburu tribe herself, she has personally planned rescue missions
to help girls as young as 6 years old. And she explains that, “The longer a
girl is in school, everything for her -- for her income, for her family, for
this country -- everything changes.” She gives me hope.
I am hopeful because of
a young woman named Jamila Abass. So Jamila founded Mfarm, which is a mobile
platform that is already used by over 14,000 people across Kenya. Mfarm makes
it easy for farmers to get information that lets them match their crops with
what the market demands. And studies show that it can help farmers double their
sales. So here is what Jamila said: “I love Kenya because you feel you are home
anywhere you go.”
Home anywhere you go --
that is the Kenya that welcomed me nearly 30 years ago as a young man. You
helped make me feel at home. And standing here today as President of the United
States, when I think about those young people and all the young people in
attendance here, you still make me feel at home. (Applause.) And I am confident
that your future is going to be written across this country and across this
continent by young people like you -- young men and women who don’t have to
struggle under a colonial power; who don’t have to look overseas to realize
your dreams. Yes, you can realize your dreams right here, right now.
(Applause.)
“We have not inherited
this land from our forebears; we have borrowed it from our children.” So now is
the time for us to do the hard work of living up to that inheritance; of
building a Kenya where the inherent dignity of every person is respected and
protected, and there is no limit to what a child can achieve.
I am here to tell you
that the United States of America will be a partner for you every step of the
way. (Applause.)
God bless you. Thank
you. Asante Sana. (Applause.)
END 12:43 P.M
END 12:43 P.M
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