Obama delivers speech urging Kenya to progress over divisions, corruption

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama urged Kenyans to move past ethnic divisions, discrimination against women and to overcome corruption during a speech Sunday.

"There's much to be proud of, much progress to lift up. It's a good news story," Obama said during the speech on his last day of his his two-day visit to Kenya. "But we also know progress is not equal. There are still problems that challenge ordinary Kenyans every day."

Obama delivered the 45-minute speech in the Safaricom Indoor Arena to a crowd of more than 4,500 people, mostly young Kenyans, in the country's capital, Nairobi.

In the speech, Obama spoke proudly of his Kenyan heritage; his father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born in Kenya.

"I am proud to be the first American president to come to Kenya, and of course I'm the first Kenyan-American to be president of the United States," Obama said. It is reportedly the first time Obama has publicly identified himself as Kenyan-American.

Obama told the crowd that discrimination against women in Kenya is "holding you back."

"Treating women as second class citizens is a bad tradition," he said. "Imagine if you have a team and you don't let half of the team play -- that's stupid."

Obama added that the United States will support Kenya as it battles against insurgency, such as from militant groups like al-Shabab, and corruption.

"Kenya is at a crossroads, a moment filled with peril but also enormous progress -- You can seize the moment," Obama said. "I'm here as a friend -- We want Kenya to succeed."

Obama's next and final stop during his visit to Africa will be to Ethiopia, where he will visit the headquarters of the African Union.