Jill Biden heads out on a six-day trip to Namibia and Kenya on Tuesday, beating out the nation’s first black vice president and even the president himself as the first White House official to visit Africa during this administration.

The first lady is seen as a reliable messenger, a person who rarely makes a misstep or strays from the administration’s missives. ‘She’s seen as the safer bet,’ said Professor Katherine Jellison of Ohio University, who is an expert on first ladies.

During her five days on the ground, Biden will focus on food insecurity, an issue that affects about six million Kenyans due to drought conditions in the arid nation.

The first lady ‘has had very memorable experiences and established very genuine connections in her previous trips, which were in 2010 and 2011,’ a senior administration official said on Tuesday morning.

‘Based on her previous experiences, she has a particular very keen appreciation for the challenges of regional food security, and was really motivated to use her return her third visit to Kenya as a way to draw attention to what is a dire and immediate food crisis that cannot wait for further intervention and mobilization from the international community.’

According to the UN World Food Program, about one-third of Kenyans live in poverty and 29% of children in rural areas have been affected by food insecurity. 

Jill Biden visited Kenya in 2011 – when she was second lady – amid the worst drought in East Africa in 60 years. During that trip, she also met with Somali refugees and held meetings on how the U.S. could help with the ongoing food and refugee crisis.

She later wrote of visiting the Kibera community in Nairobi: ‘The quality of life is nearly unimaginable — there is no electricity in the homes, and little access to running water. But it’s where I met some of the bravest women and girls that I will never forget, who are fighting to change the circumstances for their community.’

Kenya has been plagued by a dry rainy season. And the Biden administration claims the Russian invasion of the Ukraine has compounded the problem, cutting off a major food supply line to Africa.

President Joe Biden, speaking in Poland on Tuesday, noted criticized Russia for exacerbating the global food crisis.

‘Putin tried to starve the world, blocking the ports in the Black Sea to try and stop Ukraine for exporting its grain, exacerbating the global food crisis that hit developing nations in Africa especially hard,’ he said. ‘This week, my wife Jill Biden is traveling to Africa to help bring attention to this critical issue.’

Additionally, the first lady will focus on the empowerment of women – including issues relating to gender-based violence – and youth and promoting the administration’s pro-democracy message.

Namibia, for example, is a young but stable democracy on the continent. It will be Biden’s first visit to that nation. And Kenya has a history of political violence with hotly-contested elections driven by ethnic divisions and allegations of fraud.

The first lady’s trip also comes after President Biden made a successful secret trip to Ukraine to double down on the U.S. commitment to the embattled nation.

She will have a similar message, a virtual presence to give the message that America is here and ready to partner with African nations on their needs. 

Source: Daily Mail