Kenyan leaders needed the Obama speech to give them focus

It was a show of unity as leaders from across political divide carried themselves in a dignified manner in a bid to welcome a guest coming home. The coming of the President of the United States of America Barrack Obama, has indeed brought real blessing in our homeland as leaders and everyone alike forged a common front.

Pre-obama visit had been marred by threats and intimidations from various quarters of the society who held divergent views against the POTUS on gay issues and President Uhuru Kenyatta on corruption and leadership issues. University of Nairobi students led by their Chairman Babu Owino had said that some students will take their lives if the US President does not visit the University Nairobi and address the students. Some had threatened to go naked but it seems they all decided to save us the shame.

Much as the society has divergent views on various matters of great concern, unity of purpose supersedes individual discourse. When we are persuing an agenda that captures the bigger picture, non-issues cannot deter us from deliberating democratically.

Just as President Kenyatta made it clear that gay issues are non-issues that are not at the core fulcrum of the Kenyan economic dynamics but as a society, there is need to shift energies and delve on issues of macro-economic policies, investment opportunities, tapping of resources, and strategic markets for enhancing our economy.

President Uhuru Kenyatta made the best out of the opportunity to ensure that all leaders have an opportunity to see Obama including opposition leaders, former President Mwai Kibaki among others.

Kenyans were prepared to mock the Deputy President, Mr. Ruto, but the issue on ICC was certainly not enough to exempt him from meeting the president of the free world. The events did not play out as had been predicted by the witty commentaries. Obama acknowledged the Deputy president and gave him a firm handshake, signaling that the desires of a nation override individual egoism.

The opposition leaders were seen mingling with delegates, investment partners and members of jubilee government. For a moment this showed the kind of working relationships leaders ought to have not only when faced with a common goal of impressing the President of the free world but at all times to phase out destructive politics.

The billions of shillings that will be pumped into the Kenyan economy will not only benefit the current regime but even the coming regines when Uhuruto will have long faded in our leadership alignments.

So the paramount thing is unity. Let us show our visitors that our house is in order, at least for us to make a first and lasting impression and give them a reason to trust their money with us. Other non-issues can be dealt with in-house, without shouting to the outside world how our partners are not good in bed.

We have a great nation, a blessed county and wonderful people, we only need to identify the strengths that will outshine the bad side of our story. There is more that is awaiting our country.

The promise of opening up direct flights to US will be the best thing that will ever happen to this economy. Sectors such as airline, tourism and business trading will easen up movement of goods and people which translates into increased money in circulation.

Finally, as the visitor leaves, let us still behave ourselves and give a thumbs up and a lasting impression of the good people of Kenya. As he made it right, once he is a citizen, he will come in civilian clothes and who  knows may be he will network us with known multi-trillionaires for projects here.