"Africa is one of the fastest growing regions of the world," Obama said. "People are being lifted out of poverty."
Obama's visit to Kenya — the first by a sitting U.S. president — has been highly anticipated in a nation that views him as a local son. The president's late father was born in Kenya and many family members still live here, including his elderly step-grandmother.
"This is personal for me," Obama said. "There's a reason why my name is Barack Hussein Obama."