US President Barack Obama’s first official African visit this week is to Ghana. Many have questioned why he is not visiting Kenya, the country where his father was born. In response to such questions, Obama is reported as saying that Kenya’s leaders “do not seem to be moving into a permanent reconciliation that would allow the country to move forward.” The President referred to the peaceful elections and improved accountability in Ghana, but said that other countries were backsliding.
Obama is further reported as saying: “Countries that are governed well, that are stable, where the leadership recognises that they are accountable to the people and that institutions are stronger than any one person, have a track record of producing results for the people. And we want to highlight that.” He said that prosperity is directly dependent on good governance, and he praised recent efforts by the Tanzanian government.
The President contrasted Kenya with South Korea, observing that in the 1960s Kenya had a higher GDP than South Korea. South Korea’s subsequent vast economic improvement – contrasted with Kenya’s economic stagnation – is attributable to foreign investment, integration with the global economy, emphasis on education for a skilled workforce, and the building and nurturing of home-grown industries.