Just after Barack Obama and Pope Francis respectively, Kenya is bound to host another high-profile visitor. A Republican Party candidate for the US presidency, Ben Carson, said on Monday that he plans to visit Kenya later this month.
Dr Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, cited his East African ancestry as a key reason for the trip. “My ancestors are from the Kenya-Tanzania region, the Turkana tribe. I’ve had all of that traced back,” Dr Carson told a US radio talk-show host. The 64-year-old candidate has seen his once strong support slip in recent polls of Republican voters from 22 per cent in October to 14 per cent in a survey released last week.
The rating places Dr Carson third among the 13 politicians seeking the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He trails businessman Donald Trump, who registered 36 per cent in the same poll, and Senator Ted Cruz, whose support stood at 16 per cent. Dr Carson acknowledged on Monday that his lack of international policy experience may account for his drop in the voter survey.
His planned trip to Africa, which includes stops in Nigeria and Zambia, is seen as part of an effort to assuage doubts about his ability to lead the US on the world stage.
Staff Writer