John Kerry explains his love for Kenya

NAIROBI: US Secretary of State John Kerry’s love for Kenya became apparent when he drove straight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the Nairobi National Park where he took a selfie with an orphaned baby jumbo.

“I’m delighted to be here in Nairobi, and I appreciate enormously the very generous welcome,” he said.

Later we asked him to directly state why he likes Kenya, and this is the excerpt from his response:

“President Obama makes me love Kenya. No, I’m joking (laughter.) I love Kenya because I have known Kenya for years and years and years.

“Kenya is a country of extraordinary promise. It’s really one of the leaders of all of Africa... There’s an enormous amount happening here.

Blood link

“I actually have a cousin who has lived here for 22 years who works at the United Nations Environment Programme who has married a Kenyan and has family here.

“And so this is a place that I’ve heard a lot about through the years and members of my family have travelled to, and I’ve finally been able to do that and I’m very happy for that fact.”

As Mr Kerry concluded his speech, he had other words for Kenya: “In closing, I want to once again thank the government of and the people of Kenya for their wonderful hospitality during my brief stay here.

“I know President Obama is very much looking forward to coming in a short time. I want to offer, if I may, my personal congratulations to Kenya’s Caroline Rotich for her extraordinary victory in last month’s Boston Marathon.”

Kerry, who jetted into the country on Sunday, left Tuesday for Djibouti.

Related Topics

John Kerry Obama