Why U.S. President Barack Obama left President Uhuru Kenyatta’s gifts

United States President Barack Obama did not take the gifts President Uhuru Kenyatta gave him during his three day visit last week.

Uhuru presented him with two portraits and a sculpture of an elephant. The estimated cost of the three gifts is about Sh310, 000 ($3,000).

Despite photos of Obama smiling as Uhuru presented the gifts, the American president left the presents behind when he jetted off to Ethiopia on Sunday.

Obama had to leave the presents behind because U.S. laws do not allow him to accept gifts from foreign heads of state.

Gifts to an American President must first be cleared by the department in charge of gifts to the head of state and other state officers.

“Even though heads of state have traditionally exchanged gifts as expressions of goodwill, the Constitution (Article I, Section 9) prohibits anyone in the US Government from receiving a personal gift from a foreign head of state without the consent of Congress,” reads an official document titled Presidential gifts: Their handling and legal status.

In the event that the President and First Lady do not retain foreign gifts, the White House Gift Unit decides what should be done with the presents.