J.M Kavuma-Kaggwa
9 July 2009
opinion
As US President Barack Obama visits Ghana this week, it is evident that people all over the world still have special interest in Mr Obama. Besides naming their children Obama, especially in Kenya, Africans are watching Obama closely. They want to know what policy statements he is going to make about Africa.
President Obama has made many important statements on democracy, world affairs, people's welfare, and the rule of law and human rights. Recently, he made a wonderful speech when he was in Cairo, Egypt which was absolutely in line with the present day Africa. President Obama said: "People will always judge you on what you build not what you destroy."
Even as other African countries--especially East Africans eagerly wait for Obama to visit their countries, we need to ask ourselves what Obama should give and do for Africa which, we Africans can keep forever. Obama's father, the late Barack Hussein Obama (whom I knew very well during my days in Kenya), being a Luo from Kenya, it is not surprising that Africans, especially Kenyans , expect a lot from him.
I have a proposal which I would like the American Embassy in Kampala, to convey to the President, which is to set up Barack Obama Foundation. This foundation should build and manage six universities across Africa in the following way.
Barack Obama University - East Africa: This university should be built on the hills overlooking Kisumu. This will be the university for the people of East Africa.
Barack Obama University - Southern Africa: This university should be built somewhere near Lusaka City, Zambia. Zambia, as I know this country, is very suitable for this university because all Africans can move freely without problems of xenophobia.
Barack Obama University - Sudan:This university should be built in Juba, to cater for the black people of southern Sudan who have suffered (in many ways) since independence in 1955 and have never enjoyed the fruits of independence. This university will take on students from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Chad and Central African Republic.
Barack Obama University - North Africa: This university should be built in Tunisia or Morocco; the two countries which I can describe as liberal minded can welcome African Arabs from the neighbouring countries of North Africa including the northern part of Sudan.
Barack Obama University - Central Africa: This university should be built in Congo Brazzaville, a French-speaking country, to educate Africans from the French speaking countries of Central and West Africa.
Barack Obama University - West Africa: This university should be built somewhere near the city of Kumasi, in the Ashanti region of Ghana. This university will be for the Africans from the English-speaking countries of West Africa.
I personally do not see anything else that President Obama can give and do for Africa which will be better and everlasting than building these universities across Africa as I have stated above. Finally, I will always remember what he said in Cairo on March 6: "People will always judge you on what you build not what you destroy."
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