NAIROBI -- This was no ordinary state dinner.
Obama noted that Kenyatta's father -- Kenya's first president after independence in 1963 -- and his own crossed paths. Though the two came from rival tribes, Obama did not mention that aspect of their relationship.
"And our fathers were people who lived at the same time, and went through independence of this country at the same time, and took different paths, obviously," he said. "My father was significantly younger. And it’s true that it would have been hard for them to imagine how their sons might be sitting here today."
But the real fun began after a Kenyan group called Sauti Sol serenaded Obama in English and Swahili and with the song "Coming Home." They started by paying homage to the first lady. "We are so sad that our mother Michelle could not come," the lead singer said.
Once the band started to dance Obama got up, buttoned his jacket and joined in. The entire head table -- as well as several guests -- moved together with (semi) synchronized steps to the music, with Obama sandwiched between his national security adviser Susan Rice and his sister Auma Obama, from his father's first marriage. The group played other hits, including "Sura Yako."
And finally, the president sang. The Nairobi youth orchestra and choir performed after Sauti Sol, accompanying President Kenyatta's niece, Kavi Pratt, a vocalist. When she began singing "At Last," POTUS sang along without a mike.
The next stop on Obama's Africa trip is Ethiopia, where another state dinner will take place Monday night. No word on whether dancing and singing will take place.