Obama to Visit Kenya for First Time as President

President Barack Obama has made three trips to sub-Saharan Africa during his time in office, but has never visited Kenya, the birthplace of his father. That will change this summer when he makes his fourth trip to the region and attends the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the White House announced Monday.

The White House put out the following statement on the trip:

Obama to Kenya in July pic.twitter.com/AxuGGRSsCG

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 30, 2015

When the president announced his plans to visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania in July 2013, he received some harsh criticism from Kenyans who felt they were being snubbed. At the time, the White House said it “wasn’t the best time” for Obama to visit given controversies surrounds the recent elections there.

During a speech in South Africa later that month, Obama vowed to visit Kenya on a future trip. “If in three years and seven months I am not in Kenya, then you can fault me for not following through on my promise,” he said.

Obama did go to Kenya when he was a senator, and in 2007 a documentary titled Senator Obama Goes to Africa was released. Watch a clip below:

[Photo via screengrab]

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