Obama's official visit to Kenya

President Barack Obama landed in Kenya on Friday with a mission to strengthen U.S. security and economic ties, but his personal connection to his father's birthplace will dominated the trip that Kenyans view as a native son returning home.

Kenya is a critical Western ally in the battle against the Somali Islamist group al Shabaab, which massacred 148 people in April at a Kenyan university near the Somali border. Obama held talks in Nairobi on security cooperation.

He also spent private time with family members and was part of the global entrepreneurship summit where he delivered a speech.

"Just as anybody is curious about their heritage, visiting Kenya provides him an opportunity to make that personal connection," Valerie Jarrett, a senior aide and family friend of Obama, said in an interview.

We bring you a collection of pictures on the US president's trip