Uhuru and Obama urge investors to take advantage of Africa’s potential
What you need to know:
- President Uhuru Kenyatta described Kenya as a “hotbed of vibrant culture, spectacular natural beauty, and infinite possibility.”
- The summit, which ends Sunday, brings together nearly 1000 entrepreneurs and investors from nearly 120 countries.
- "Let the world hear a simple message: the narrative of African despair and indignity is false — indeed, it was never true,” said Uhuru.
- He further urged the participants to not only “let that narrative change” but also to share what they had seen in Kenya.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has described Kenya as a “hotbed of vibrant culture, spectacular natural beauty, and infinite possibility,” in a rejoinder to a statement by a US media house three days ago.
Commenting on President Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya, CNN described it as a trip to a “hotbed of terror” and later retracted the statement to indicate the terror threat is a regional one.
While speaking at the sixth Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Gigiri, Nairobi, President Kenyatta said: “Let me conclude by saying that aside from participating in this summit, I encourage all of you to go out and see for yourselves, the enchanting beauty and promise of this country.”
NARRATIVE OF DESPAIR FALSE
He added with a smile: “You will discover that Kenya is a hotbed of vibrant culture, spectacular natural beauty, and infinite possibility.
"Let the world hear a simple message: the narrative of African despair and indignity is false — indeed, it was never true.”
He spoke as he co-hosted three young entrepreneurs from Africa and Croatia, alongside President Obama.
The summit, which ends Sunday, brings together nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs and investors from nearly 120 countries.
He further urged the participants to not only “let that narrative change” but also share what they had seen in Kenya.
“Share your experiences and let them know that Africa is open and ready for business,” he concluded.
President Obama said he chose to be in Kenya because “Africa is on the move with the fastest-growing economies”.
He said the summit had surpassed their Sh100 billion commitment from banks, foundations, the US government and philanthropists for investments, half of which will support youth and women entrepreneurs.
