Obama
departs for Kenya, returning to his father's homeland
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[July 24, 2015]
By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack
Obama departed for Kenya on Thursday, his first trip to his father's
homeland as U.S. president, kicking off a swing through Africa that will
also include a stop in Ethiopia.
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Obama, the first black U.S. president, is the son of a black
father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas. He traveled to
Kenya as a U.S. senator but has not gone since winning the White
House.
Obama is expected to meet with family members while in Nairobi, but
he will not be traveling to the village most closely associated with
his family name.
The trip will focus otherwise on security and economic initiatives
as the president shores up his legacy on the African continent.
Obama will also do some lobbying of lawmakers who are coming along
for the visit. The president is seeking support from Congress for a
deal to curb Iran's nuclear program.
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The White House released a list of 10 lawmakers flying with Obama on
Air Force One including nine Democrats and one Republican, Senator
Jeff Flake of Arizona.
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The Democrats are Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, Senator Ed Markey
of Massachusetts, Representative Karen Bass of California,
Representative G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, Representative
Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Representative Barbara Lee of
California, Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, Representative
Charles Rangel of New York, and Representative Terri Sewell of
Alabama.
On the return flight to the United States, a second group of 10
Democratic representatives will join Obama, the White House said.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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