President Barack Obama received a warm “homecoming” welcome last weekend, not only in Kenya, but in Ethiopia and wider the region as well. The East African Community (EAC) welcomed his presence in the neighbourhood and, keenly observing the goings-on, it was akin to recognising a valued neighbour’s son who made good in America. But while Obama had some good things to say about the progress achieved during his last visit, he also shot some barbs at the politics, which bordered on patronising an entire continent, at least according to said. He scathingly pointed at the rampant corruption, and strongly spoke of the need to address the gender inequalities that exist. The larger picture, however, was broader. It was writ in the U.S.-Africa trade and investment and regional security under the auspices of the Global Enterprise Summit in Nairobi, along with the extended visit in Addis Ababa. The “Africa Rising” narrative has, for some time now, been a sell in Washington D.C. Obama’s visit, therefore, demonstrated the desire to bolster America’s influence on the continent at a time when Islamic extremism and Chinese economic might are undermining it. China overtook the U.S. as Africa’s biggest trade partner in 2009. Nevertheless, Obama’s aim is to build on the legacy of his predecessors, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Clinton, in his final year as president, introduced the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which offers incentives for African countries to build free markets and open their economies. AGOA slashed American tariffs on many goods for 40 African countries and created thousands of local jobs since 2000, significantly boosting U.S.-Africa economic relations. George W. Bush, especially under the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), ramped up aid spending that also helped save the lives of those afflicted by other diseases in Africa, aside from those living with HIV and Aids. These programmes have largely been maintained under Obama. AGOA was recently renewed, while services towards HIV and AIDS prevention and alleviation continue in many countries across Africa. It is no wonder, as addressing health issues ensures the foundation remains for enterprise to thrive. Obama aims to take this further by not only focusing on promoting economic development, but also tackling Islamic extremism. Enterprise cannot thrive in an insecure environment. But what will prove to be his signature achievement will be the Power Africa initiative, a partnership with African governments that aims to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. Seventy per cent of the population of Africa does not have access to electricity. Other than the convenience of lighting homes, cheap and readily available power attracts investment and drives industry. According to the African Development Bank, the continent needs more than $300 billion in investment to achieve universal electricity access by 2030. The Power Africa initiative aims to enable electricity access by adding 30,000 megawatts of cleaner power generation on to the existing continental grid, enabling at least 60 million new connections. There is also the aspect of nurturing talent. The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), that Obama is also spearheading, aims to strengthen U.S.-Africa partnerships by investing in “the next generation of entrepreneurs, educators, activists and innovators”. Yet, to be sure, the initiatives are as nationally self-interested for the U.S. as they are about Africa. In the 2012 U.S. Strategy Towards Sub-Saharan Africa, Obama articulated the mutual necessity to engage: “We will encourage American companies to seize trade and investment opportunities in Africa, so that their skills, capital, and technology will further support the region’s economic expansion, while helping to create jobs here in America”. Obama’s perceived homecoming to Kenya and Africa was therefore anticipated, if only to entrench his vision. And it was about a legacy that has to be mutually beneficial, straddling both sides of the Atlantic. We should expect it will be a legacy that, in some way, will positively touch the life of the African as it shall that of the American marking Obama’s dual heritage on his last trip here as U.S. president.
