Questions are being raised as to whether the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, brought any goodies to Africa. Though it was not lost to observers that politics dominated the recently held Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) forum in Nairobi, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact ‘goodies’ the forum brought to Africa, Kenya in particular. It was obvious the Obama administration expects African leaders to lead their people on the path of progress, prosperity and growth. The starting point on this journey must be transparency and accountability.
Using the imagery of poetry and prose, Hillary quoted an American congressman who once said politics is governance through poetry. The forum thus succeeded in sending the US message that any American initiative on the continent must be tied to good governance and strong structures of political systems.