There is good news for Kenyans before US President Barrack Obama, son of a Kenyan man, sets foot in the country for the first time as leader of the world’s super power nation.
Ahead of the visit in July, it emerged his administration has planned $553 million (Sh 50 billion) in aid to Kenya this year.
The Obama administration has asked the US congress for the $553 million funding in the 2015/2016 budget, according to new policy document that show the aid is partly in response to devolution and to foster public participation in government affairs.
The US State Department in its data site, ForeignAssistance.gov says the administration has requested this amount in the 2015 budget proposal, making Kenya the 8th highest recipient of US funding in the world.
Despite perceived misunderstanding between Nairobi and Washington, Kenya has consistently remained among the ten major recipients of US foreign aid for the last decade.
The latest budgetary allocation to Kenya comes on the back of reports that Obama will tour Kenya, his father’s homeland in July, the first visit to the country as USPresident.
The first US African American President will be in Nairobi for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) between July 24 and 26. Obama will also hold bilateral talks with President Kenyatta, State House, has since announced.
As part of preparations for the visit, Mr Kenyatta met a five-member delegation of the US Senate and US Congress on Friday. The delegation headed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York) met the President at State House, Nairobi, where they discussed the war against terror, regional security, trade and investment issues.
-standardmedia.co.ke
