President Barack Obama is now set to visit Africa, probably the place he is fond of and cherishes deeply outside the United States of America. Africa or most specifically Kenya looms large in President Barack Obama’s life. Personally I met President Barack Obama in 2006 at the University of Nairobi in Kenya – two years before he became President of the United States of America.  I was in Nairobi, Kenya conducting my final pieces of research for my dissertation that I was doing in partial fulfillment of my Master of Business Administration degree.

We had town hall meeting with Barack Obama in the majestic Taifa Hall where he spoke to us on the subject of: Beyond Africa’s Best: How Africa can fulfill its destiny. Throughout the talk Barack Obama was beautifully honest, deeply caring, and positively upbeat about Africa. It was a fascination meeting! He took us on an incredible journey beyond our own minds and imaginations and left us astounded.

President Barack Obama first visited Africa way back in 1986. He was a very young and delicate man 25 years old still working as a community organizer at the South side of Chicago. He wanted to know about his roots – his father’s place of birth in Kenya. He stayed in Kenya almost half a year, mingled and became part of Kenyan life. This part of his life formed his character for the better. He became complete. Before then he was torn since he felt a sense of sadness having not known his father well and close.

Definitely Kenyan life which is vastly different to the United States had great influence and impact on his personality in a number of ways. 

In fact it is because of Kenya that President Barack Obama was brought into the limelight. Shortly after his visit to Kenya he wrote his first autobiographical book Dreams from my Father. The book's setting is Kenya. In the book he provides a great contrast from his upbringing in America and his stint in Kenya. Dreams from My Father was the book that made President Barack Obama known across America. From there ridding on that fame he went on to become an Illinois Senator, to ultimately become President of the United States of America dramatically within a terrific short space of time beating all the odds.

 The force and impact of Africa on Barack Obama’s personality is felt right across his books in particular - the Audacity of Hope. The Audacity of Hope is the greatest of his books – it is actually a metaphor if you look at it deeply. In the book Barack Obama is making an indirect reference to his father Barack Obama Sr – how from his poverty stricken childhood and upbringing had the ability and the audacity of hope where he even became a graduate of the top most university in the world: Harvard University. Following on his father’s journey in life President Barack Obama came from nowhere but had the audacity to hope to become the President of the United States of America. President Barack Obama’s life revolves around his father’s life. And that story is outlined in my newly released book on Barack Obama: Moving Forward!