Barack Obama lands in Kenya as security patrols for al-Shabab militants

U.S. President Barack Obama embraces his half-sister, Auma Obama, after arriving Friday in Nairobi as part of a two-country Africa trip. (Ben Curtis/Associated Press)

Friday, July 24, 2015

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U.S. President Barack Obama has begun a two-country tour of Africa focused on deepening economic and security partnerships with the continent and its people after landing Friday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

The trip amounts to a homecoming of sorts for Obama, whose father was Kenyan, and he is expected to spend time with family.

Meanwhile, a massive security operation is in place to protect Obama during his visit to Kenya, which has been frequently targeted by al-Shabab militants based in neighbouring Somalia.

Ahead of Obama's arrival, large numbers of security forces were patrolling Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Several U.S. military aircraft were spotted flying around the city. There have also been significant military attacks on Islamic militant targets in Somalia in recent weeks.

Major roads in Nairobi are temporarily closed and authorities said the international airport will close at times. Safaricom, a mobile network operator, warned of disruptions while Obama is in Nairobi to meet entrepreneurs and hold talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

"We recognize the fact that as the most protected individual in the world, there will be some security measures undertaken by his team which could include the temporary disruption of mobile signals close to where the president is at any given time," Safaricom said.

Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has conducted major attacks in Kenya, including the 2013 attack on Nairobi's Westgate mall and an April attack in Garissa that killed nearly 150 people.

This month, Somali officials said African Union and local troops seized Bardhere, one of the last major towns held by extremists in Somalia's southwest. A militant commander was also killed in a U.S. drone strike, according to Somali and U.S. officials.

Drones watching closely

A Somali intelligence official told The Associated Press the use of surveillance drones has increased in the past two weeks.

"They are watching militants' movements towards Kenya so closely," said the official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Obama will meet with relatives during his visit, the ambassador said.

Sarah Obama, the matriarch of the Obama family, flew Friday from the western Kenyan city of Kisumu to Nairobi ahead of a meeting with the U.S. president, Kenyan media reported. Sarah Obama was the second wife of Obama's grandfather and helped raise his father, the elder Barack Obama. The U.S. president referred to her as "Granny" in his memoir, Dreams from My Father.

"Today, I am going to talk to him face to face," said Sarah Obama, who is in her 90s, before boarding the Nairobi-bound plane. She said she would try to convince Obama to visit his father's grave in the western village of Kogelo, though U.S. officials have said the president will not travel to the town on this visit.

"I will leave it to God," added Sarah Obama, who walks with a cane.

Workers put up a billboard showing Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, left, and U.S. President Barack Obama in Nairobi ahead of Obama's first trip to the country as president. (Ben Curtis/Associated Press)

Obama's agenda for Saturday includes co-hosting a U.S.-sponsored business summit and a meeting with Kenya's president, followed by a news conference and a state dinner.

Obama's schedule also features an address Sunday at a Nairobi stadium that will be broadcast live on Kenyan radio and television before he departs for Ethiopia. U.S. Ambassador Robert Godec said attendance is by invitation only to representatives from "a wide range of Kenyan society" despite speculation that huge crowds would gather.

"We discourage people from coming to the venue if they're not explicitly invited," Godec said.

Obama is scheduled to meet with Ethiopia's president and prime minister Monday with plans for a news conference and a state dinner.

He is expected to address members of the African Union Tuesday before heading back to Washington.

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