No word on compensation as Barack Obama visits Memorial Park

US President Barack Obama in a minute of silence after laying a wreath at the Memorial Park in Nairobi to commemorate victims of August 7, 1998 bombing of the US Embassy. [Photo: Jacob Otieno/Standard]

US President Barack Obama became the senior most American leader to lay a wreath at the August 7 Memorial Park in Nairobi.

Obama  arrived at the site of the former US embassy in Nairobi at about lunch hour yesterday, and spent about ten minutes with victims and families of the survivors of the 1998 attack, which killed hundreds. A similar attack was carried out in Dar-es-Salam.  

Unlike in Tanzania where he announced compensation for victims, Obama only consoled those who had arrived at the site with hopes of monetary assistance.

Dressed in a navy blue suit and a matching tie, Obama then emerged from the memorial site’s museum and walked straight to the marble plaque where the names of about 200 casualties are penned, placed flowers and then bowed down in honour, before retreating to the memorial park’s office.

The US leader did not address journalists who had been cleared hours early to cover the momentous event as he took another 20 minutes, with only his officials before departing to State House for talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Some of the victims he met said Obama only consoled them, saying the US shares in their grief but did not give them indication of compensation they have been pushing for. Those who met Obama declined to speak on record, only saying the President consoled them saying ‘America deeply shares in their grief’.

Survivors and families of the victims have been crying for monetary support and yesterday’s loud silence by Obama on the matter may have pinned the last nail on the hopes for any more support.

Security was tightened in and around the memorial site with Moi and Haile Selassie avenues closed to traffic and the public kept at bay. US marines and Secret Service took over the ground security with US Air Force and Kenya Defence Force choppers flying low over the city centre.

Thousands of Kenyans gathered near the venue to cheer President Obama hoping he would address them after laying the wreath at the memorial park. They cheered for hours awaiting his arrival while waving American and Kenyan flags.