US President Barack Obama is likely to address a joint session of Parliament and the Senate when he visits Kenya in the last week of July.
Parliament’s leadership has been asked to prepare for the possibility of a special sitting as Obama’s visit will fall on a weekend.
Yesterday, a team of American officials led by US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec was at Parliament Buildings on a mission to evaluate security arrangements.
The Star established that the tour was part of the plans for Obama’s visit.
The visit also put into perspective the new security measures that have been introduced by Parliament, including erecting permanent roadblocks on some of the roads around the buildings.
Two roadblocks were erected, one at the Parliament Road/Harambee Avenue junction and the other on Parliament Road near City Hall Way.
Another checkpoint was erected at the junction of Harambee Avenue and Tumbo Avenue, near the Treasury Building.
Obama’s itinerary is closely guarded and is still being reviewed, especially in regard to the security arrangements for the duration of the visit.
Obama will be in the country on July 25 for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and bilateral talks with his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The US President is expected to use his address to Parliament to call on Kenyan leaders to create a conducive environment for investment and entrepreneurship.
America has also been keen on democratic reforms and Obama is expected to emphasise this in any address to MPs.
Last week, Obama said that his visit to Kenya was critical for entrepreneurship and the future of young people across the world.
“If enough folks respond to the challenge that I’m issuing today, I believe that at the summit in Nairobi we’ll be able to announce new investments and commitments that will pay off for years to come”, Obama said.
Other than the participation at the summit and the talks with Uhuru, Obama’s schedule in Kenya still remains a mystery.
So far, the Star has established that Obama’s motorcade will move from the JKIA to State House.
At State House, he will meet Uhuru and other government officials to discuss security, terrorism, regional stability, governance and trade between the two countries.
The two leaders will then go to the summit venue, currently said to be the United Nations Complex in Gigiri.
Already, there is a large number of officers of the US Secret Service in the country, preparing the security arrangements for the visit.
