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Kenyan PM says Obama victory against racial biases

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-08 09:38

NAIROBI - Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga returned from China on Friday and lauded the election of Senator Barrack Obama as US President, saying his victory was a major breakthrough in fight against racial biases that hampered globalization.

President-elect Barack Obama waves as he leaves his first press conference following his election victory in Chicago, November 7, 2008.[Agencies]

Odinga said the historical election of a black American to the helm of the World superpower was a clear indication of fast fading outdated habits in which leadership abilities were pegged on the color of the skin.

The PM told a media briefing on arrival from an official trip in China that the reality towards globalization of the world into one big village looks promising than ever after the election of Obama.

The premier lauded American women for displaying their true democratic principles when they rallied behind Obama regardless of his kinship ties to a Kenyan family against the grain of racial rhetoric during the campaign.

He challenged fellow countrymen to reconsider their negative ethnicity and tribal inclinations that have bedeviled and polarized the nations thereby hampering collective development prospects.

Odinga said the election of Obama was a welcome move since continent is set to benefit from the pro active approach the US intends to adopt towards Africa under the new administration.

He was however quick to cautioned Kenyans not to expect freebies from Washington because of the historical election of a president with local kinship ties. The Premier reiterated that the country does "not need a parasitic relationship but a symbiotic one that would facilitate expansion of commercial and economic partnership."

He said the election of Illinois Senator Obama to the highest office in modern world should not be reprieve to Kenyans to celebrate coming of charity goodies from the superpower but should strengthen the ties between the two states.

"We do not expect charity from the US but we are looking forward engage in joint  ventures in trade, technological expertise and security operations especially in the wake of high occurrences of pirate attacks in the Somalia coast," he said.

The Premier said although the paternal roots of the US president elect during the just concluded November 4 polls could be traced to a Kenyan father, the country should exploit ways of expanding bilateral ties.

He said Kenyans should instead use the kinship factor to strengthen and deepen trade and economic relations between the two countries for the mutual benefit of the people from the two nations.