U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois shakes hands with supporters in Nairobi yuesterday during a visit to the memorial for the 248 people killed in the 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in the city. – Reuters

NAIROBI, (Reuters):

Excited crowds mobbed U.S. Senator Barack Obama yesterday at the start of a four-day visit to Kenya, his father's homeland, but he harshly criticised corruption in the east African country.

Obama, the only African-American in the U.S. Senate, is on his first official visit to Kenya, although he has visited relatives here before.

Despite a movie-star welcome on the streets from thousands of Kenyans wanting to shake his hand, Obama lost no time in highlighting the damage done by a string of graft scandals.

Obama told a news conference he had raised corruption during a meeting with President Mwai Kibaki.

"Kenya does not yet have the kind of transparency and accountability that encourages development," Obama said.