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Business unusual in Nairobi as Obama comes to town


Kenyans, especially those living in Nairobi, cannot expect less as the leader of the free world jets in. From Friday till Sunday, Nairobi will be on the lock-down and presumably be transformed into one of the safest cities in the world, atleast for the three days that President Barack Obama will be around.

As the country prepares to welcome the trailblazing, once-in-a-generation personality, Nairobi will literally come to a standstill.

It will be a roller-coaster experience. Kenyans, especially those living in Nairobi, can expect their lives to be turned “upside down” when the president of the most powerful country on earth comes calling.

To many Nairobians normal life will be disrupted as extreme steps are taken to ensure that Obama’s visit is safe and incident free at all costs.

The virtually impregnable measures enforced by the US advance teams that guard the president and his entourage, and by local security personnel, will make it impossible for ordinary citizens to move around.

Vendors and hawkers have or will be evicted from key roads in a clean-up and a security blitz that began over a fortnight ago.

Beggars and street families have been forcibly evicted from city streets. Roads have been quickly re-carpeted, grass forced to grow and dusty roads literally mopped around the clock.

CLOSED ROADS

During the three days that Obama will be in town, Mombasa road, Uhuru highway and Waiyaki way, Thika superhighway and Limuru road will be closed on certain days. All these roads connect other passageways in the city.

Thousands of commuters will have to walk to and from their places of work while motorists who try to venture out will have to contend with prolonged hours on traffic.

Boda boda operators will be chased off the streets while public transport vehicles will terminate their routes far away from their usual drop-off points.

They have inspected the airport, mounted security cameras and other equipment atop buildings near the airport, and inspected and secured all hotels that the host visitors will stay.

Delegations of press corps and business people have taken up hotels for at least a week. All the city’s VIP hotels have been fully booked days in advance.

Already the Obama’s elite security team has made its presence felt. Sophisticated maneuvers have been made days to his arrival for the final leg of his third African trip, the longest since his election in 2008.

Discreet Secret Service officers have swarmed the city, taking turns to patrol key roads and buildings.

CNN has already penned a thorny piece about Kenya being a hot bed of terror, while the debate on homosexuality is still a hot subject.

INCREASED SURVEILLANCE

Due to the huge number of press corps accompanying the president, local journalists might or will be given just a few slots. Those cleared will be literally tethered to one point.

In the Indian Ocean, an American warship will be anchored around the clock. It will serve as a base for the military. Helicopters and jets that will circle the airspace intermittently before and during the tour by the US Commander in Chief have already taken their positions.

There is a helicopter that has been spotted several times and resembles the green one that President Obama usually uses at home, dubbed Marine One.

Nairobi airspace will be closed for several hours before the plane carrying the US President touches down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Communication at the airport will be jammed for most of the waiting period and US Secret Service personnel will take charge of the air traffic control towers.

Snipers will be seen atop buildings overlooking the runway, which will also be lined up by armed men.

President Obama will not at any time come out of his limousine, but will wave through glass windows to the gathering crowds.

It will be a memorable time to come so close to the man who re-wrote American history and galvanized Africa in ways no one had done before.