Youth empowerment dominates Obama's visit to Kenya

Former US president Barack Obama on Monday unveiled a youth empowerment center in western Kenya.

The private visit, which received wide media coverage in the country, pushed up the discourse on how Africa can convert the youth bulge into a demographic dividend and check the flow of young Africans illegally entering western countries.

The Sauti Kuu Vocational Center, founded by his sister, Auma Obama, is located in Obama's ancestral home in Kisumu, and focuses on building the capacities of youths while discouraging rural-urban migration. It reaches at least 800 youths weekly and offers access to sports facilities, IT and agricultural technical training.

While noting that the country has progressed in political, economic and social spheres, Obama said that development starts in young people by offering opportunities to make them self-sufficient.

"We need to strengthen capacity building to increase their chances of securing jobs and also enabling them be job creators. We need centers that can better harness the opportunities of the young people in arts too. They need to learn the strength of their voices," he said.

Robert Kagiri, a strategy and policy consultant and adjunct lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, University of Nairobi, said the private visit subtly re-asserts the US influence in East Africa.

"I think this is part of the US soft power policy based on the longstanding relationship the region has with the western nation," he said.

But this might not be so, said an academic. The current administration has continually distanced itself with policies that were strongly pushed by the Obama administration, said Kioko Ireri, an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at the United States International University Africa, based in Kenya.

"I think his visit is as a private citizen to his African roots but also he continues to influence private-private sector linkages since his entourage included entrepreneurs," he said.

This comes a little more than two weeks after US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross visited the country in his first official visit to Africa and was accompanied by more 70 delegates from the US private sector, looking to broaden trade and investment ties with Kenya. The visit saw deals worth $100 billion signed. 

Jetting into the east African country on Sunday, Obama held talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta at the statehouse, who assured Obama of the country's commitment in scaling up youth programs under the Obama foundation. He later met with ODM party leader Raila Odinga. A statement said the two discussed youth empowerment, education and Kenya's efforts to bring peace to South Sudan.

After a private family meeting, Obama jetted off to South Africa, where he is expected to meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa and give a speech at an event in honor of Nelson Mandela's birthday in Johannesburg. He will leave South Africa on Thursday, at a time the city is preparing for the 10th BRICS summit.