Mr Ogego made the same remarks when Mr Obama, then a Senator, visited Kenya in 2006.
"I still hold the same sentiments. He did not say anything new and, if you remember, we had gone through many years of struggle against corruption and we didn’t need to be reminded. Some of us, including myself, had put our lives on the line fighting against corruption and I didn’t get a cheer from them that time," Ogego said. He was asked whether he still believed Obama was wrong in chastising Kenyan leadership on corruption.
The envoy however clarified that what he objected to then was the way President Obama had raised the issue of corruption.
"The issue was the manner he addressed us. I said then and I repeat that Kenya always receives with respect US senators and US presidents, and there is a manner they discuss with us issues of concern," he said.
He said when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Kenya in August last year the same issues were addressed. He said Mrs Clinton did not use the occasion to publicly dress down the Kenyan leadership.
Within his mandate
Ogego said it was within his mandate as Kenya’s representative to the US to correct Obama.
"I did what ambassadors do, defend their countries and their people against the impression the entire country, including myself, were corrupt.
"We are not corrupt. It is a few unscrupulous politicians and businessmen who are corrupt and would taint our name cannot be taken as a general branding of the country as a basket case," he said. He said President Obama should have isolated issues.
"We have corruption cases every day in the US, but I don’t think anybody would say the US is a corrupt country," he said.
He was addressing Kenyans at the prestigious Yale University in Connecticut on Saturday, after touring New England. The event was organised by Kenya American Society.
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