Politics. On Point.

Al Aribiya bureau chief, Nadia Charter, gives us an inside report on the meeting between President Biden and Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, Thursday.  Kenya is a country in East Africa. The Republic of Kenya borders the Indian Ocean to the southeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, Sudan to the northwest, Ethiopia to the north, and Somalia to the northeast.  The meeting was the first time Biden has met with an African head-of-state since becoming U.S president.   Source: AP photo Pool report reads as follows: Pool was ushered to Oval office around 3:20 pm. President Biden welcomed Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and made a joke about allowing the US to stay at the United Nations  Security Council . President Uhuru spoke in English. He highlighted the discussion that will take place on four areas of cooperation.   Covid Vaccine and increase dosages to Africa Counter terrorism Climate Change Trade and investment The Kenya delegation included : H...

 In remarks to the people of Africa while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, President Obama told throngs of assembled listeners at Mandela Hall (African Union Headquarters) that Africa helped shape him and how he sees the world. "I stand before you as a proud American.  I also stand before you as the son of an African. Africa and its people helped to shape America and allowed it to become the great nation that it is.  And Africa and its people have helped shape who I am and how I see the world", he said. He said that in the villages of Kenya where his father was born he learned of his ancestors, and the bonds of family that connect us all as Africans and Americans.  He went on to say that he wanted his two daughters to know their ancestors were both slaves and slave owners. The full transcript, below, has been made available by the White House. The president finished his four-day African visit on Tuesday and is expected to return to Washington later the sam...

President Obama is making a historic visit to Africa this weekend, most notably to Kenya, the birthplace of his father. While there, the president gave remarks at a Power Africa Innovation Fair where he spoke to the successes of the Power Africa project. Said the president, "... our Power Africa initiative has been leveraging private capital to invest in electrification all across the continent.  And our preliminary goal was 10,000 megawatts; now we’re looking at 30,000 megawatts, and we’re well on our way. The president remarked on ways that his administration, along with several donors, are making this happen using  traditional power plants and solar produced energy. "Moreover, part of what’s taking place is because...you notice these solar panels, this is an opportunity for countries like Africa to leapfrog over dirty energy and immediately go to clean energy.  And so this mix of traditional products combined with these innovative ways of both pro...

President Obama's Message to the People of Kenya Whether born there, or not, President Obama has been said to have strong ties to the African country of Kenya, the place where is father was born, and where Obama's brother and grandmother still live. The president speaks, via video, to the people of Kenya on their upcoming March election advising them to put aside tribal and ethnic differences; reject intimidation and violence; address electoral disputes through Kenya’s courts, rather than on the streets; and to come together as a nation on the 50th anniversary of Kenyan independence. Per the White House "upcoming elections are a historic opportunity for Kenyans to stand together, as a nation, for peace and progress, and for the rule of law." From the White House blog : "Kenyans have made remarkable progress since the devastating violence that followed the elections five years ago. Lives and communities have been rebuilt, the economy has rebounded, an...

Note : See update below - - U.S. To Assist Famined Somalia Dr. Jill Biden has arrived in Kenya with Senator Bill Frist, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz, and Special Assistant to the President Gayle Smith. Dr. Biden’s trip will underscore the United States’ commitment to working with the governments and people of the region, and the international community, to assist the people of the Horn of Africa during this urgent time of need, and to investing in long-term solutions to hunger and food insecurity in the region.  Amid the worst drought in East Africa in 60 years, the United Nations has declared that famine now affects five regions in Somalia and predicts that famine could soon expand throughout southern Somalia.  Thousands of Somalis are fleeing the famine and seeking refuge in Kenya and Ethiopia, which are also affected by the drought.  According to the United Nations, more than 12.4 million people in Ethiopia, Keny...

Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa the week of June 7, 2010. While in Egypt, the Vice President will meet with President Mubarak to discuss a full range of bilateral and regional issues. The Vice President will then meet with key leaders in Kenya, including Kenyan President Kibaki and Kenyan Prime Minister Odinga . In addition to discussing a range of bilateral issues, the Vice President will address our shared interests in peace and stability in the region, particularly in Sudan and Somalia. Finally, the Vice President will travel to South Africa, where he will meet with South African Deputy President Motlanthe , South African Foreign Minister Nkoana-Mashabane, and other world leaders in attendance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The Vice President and Dr. Biden will represent the United States at the opening ceremonies of the June 11-July 11, 2010  FIFA World Cup , and attend the U.S. Men’s National Team’s ...