nairobi, kenya <u+2014><u+00a0>president obama<u+00a0>spoke out sunday<u+00a0>about<u+00a0>corruption, ethnic divisions, terrorism and human rights in a rousing televised speech on his<u+00a0>last day in kenya, his father's homeland.









speaking to thousands at the<u+00a0>kasarani national stadium, obama encouraged kenyans to <u+201c>choose the path to progress<u+201d> by fighting<u+00a0>corruption<u+00a0>and<u+00a0>terrorism and by treating women and girls as equal citizens.









"kenya has come so far in just my lifetime," said obama, the first sitting u.s. president to visit the african nation. "kenya is at a crossroads, a moment filled with peril but enormous promise. because of kenya's progress, because of your potential, you can build your future right here, right now."









he called for<u+00a0>an end to ethnic divisions and described corruption in the country<u+00a0>as a <u+201c>cancer.<u+201d>









"treating women and girls<u+00a0>as second-class citizens is a bad tradition. it's holding you back," he added.









some kenyans<u+00a0>said they were pleased that obama<u+00a0>addressed human rights, ethnic divisions and equality. but for many, just seeing obama <u+2014> who was born in hawaii but his father was from kenya<u+00a0><u+2014><u+00a0>was the main goal.









<u+201c>i should be seeing president obama live today,<u+201d> said collins njehia, 28, a nairobi resident camping outside the stadium before the speech.<u+00a0><u+201c>we<u+2019>ve been denied access by security officers, but i need to see him, even if it means climbing a tree.<u+201d>









<u+201c>obama is our son, and we love him dearly," said peninah mwangi, a vegetable vendor in nairobi. "i want to make sure i see him today before he leaves."









many nairobi residents tried to get to the stadium to watch the event live after officials mounted a huge screen there for those who couldn't get inside. but security measures that all but locked down the capital's streets thwarted those efforts. some instead headed to bars and hotels to watch the speech.









agreeing with obama, erick nyariyo, a nairobi resident, said,<u+00a0><u+201c>this government will soon become a dictator if some issues are not dealt with,<u+201d> nyariyo said. <u+201c>the government needs to control every institution in the country, including ... the electoral body so that they can rig elections."









the kenyan government has consistently denied allegations of election fraud.









in his address, obama warned that<u+00a0>ethnic and tribal divisions would lead to further cracks in the country's unity.









"politics that's based on only tribe and ethnicity is doomed to tear a country apart," he said. "it is a failure <u+2014><u+00a0>a failure of imagination."









<u+201c>i was surprised that obama knows everything about our country,<u+201d> said martin kiprotich, a local leader from western kenya, who traveled here to attend the speech in the stadium. <u+201c>i<u+2019>m happy because he talked about tribalism. our nation is divided along tribal line(s), and as leaders we need to address it.<u+201d>









during his three-day visit, obama<u+00a0>spoke<u+00a0>to kenyan leaders about security and terrorism before departing sunday for ethiopia.<u+00a0>



















 kenya has witnessed a rise in high-profile terror attacks over the past two years, including a 2013 assault at the westgate mall in nairobi that resulted in almost 70 deaths. al-shabab, a somali-based group linked to al-qaeda, claimed responsibility for the mall attack and another attack this year at a university in garissa in eastern kenya that killed almost 150 people, mostly students. the extremist group said<u+00a0>the attacks were<u+00a0>in retaliation for kenya military action against them in somalia.









obama told kenyans that while security measures must be strengthened, the war on terror must be approached while respecting the rule of law and human rights. some muslims cheered at his message, saying that they are always targeted after every terror attack in kenya.









nazlin umar fazaldin rajput, head of the national muslim council of kenya, said:<u+00a0>"the oppression muslims face<u+00a0>in kenya are (outrageous). people are persecuted, unlawfully detained for prolonged periods, maliciously arrested (and)<u+00a0>prosecuted with trumped-up charges."









david juma, 29, a businessman who owns a dairy farm, said, <u+201c>i am inspired by obama<u+2019>s story. it does not matter where you were born. anyone can move from scratch to becoming a great leader like him. his speech has changed my life forever.<u+201d>
obama addresses human rights, ethnic divisions on final day of kenya visit
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