( CNN ) -- President Barack Obama was due in Ghana Friday , generating excitement in the west African nation and envy among its neighbors with many seeing his visit as sending a message to governments over their poor records on stability . President Obama says he chose Ghana partly because of the country 's commitment to democracy . Across Ghana , street vendors were stocking miniature American flags while citizens donned attire with pictures of the U.S. leader . `` People in Ghana are printing clothes for this occasion , '' said Adrian Landry , general manager of a beach hotel in the capital , Accra . `` The fact that his father is African and he picked us makes us special , '' he said . `` He is endorsing our strong democracy in Ghana . This is historic . '' The president 's visit to the nation is the third by a sitting American leader . Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president to visit Ghana in 1998 as part of a six-nation Africa tour . Obama 's predecessor , George W. Bush , stopped there as part of a four-nation Africa tour during his last year of office . `` Bush received a positive response , but it does not compare to this , '' Landry said . Various prominent African-Americans , including Maya Angelou and Muhammad Ali , have made stops in the country . As Ghana basked in the glow , media across Africa asked different variations of the same question : Why not us ? Obama summed up the answer in two words : democratic commitment . `` By traveling to Ghana , we hope to highlight the effective governance that they have in place , '' Obama said in an interview with AllAfrica.com , which highlights news from the continent . During his one-day visit , Obama will meet his Ghanaian counterpart , John Atta Mills , who took office in January . The peaceful election in the nation of 23 million is a far cry from recent votes in Zimbabwe and Kenya , where Obama 's father hails from . The two countries plunged into postelection chaos last year , forcing leaders to form contentious coalition governments . Ghana , which was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence , went through growing pains , including a staunch military rule , but emerged as a democracy in 1992 . It gained independence from Britain in 1957 . The nation has maintained a clean image in a continent known for conflict . The transfer of power after elections in recent years has often gone smoothly , earning the country international fans in a region where leaders are ousted kicking and screaming when their terms are over . Despite its progress , Ghana has its flaws . It remains dependent on international aid even with its abundant natural resources , including gold and cocoa . Its per capita income has barely doubled over the past 45 years , according to the World Bank . Meanwhile , as the country geared up for the visit by the first U.S. president with African roots , others watched from a distance . In Kenya , where Obama 's father was from , the reviews were mixed . While some understood his choice , others blamed the `` snub '' on politics . Watch why some in Kenya see Obama visit as a snub » . `` I do n't like the fact that he is looking at everything from a political standpoint , '' said Kungu Waiganjo of Nakuru , a major city northwest of the capital , Nairobi . `` No government is perfect , and he should not punish politicians at the expense of the little people . '' David Bulindah , 38 , called Obama 's choice a `` smart '' move . `` He is setting precedent for leaders that they should deliver what they promised , '' said Bulindah , a Kenyan who lives in Baltimore , Maryland . `` The fact that his father was from Kenya does not mean we should get golden spoons . '' -- CNN 's Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report .
People in Ghana wearing Obama clothing ahead of U.S. President 's visit . The president is expected to meet with Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, and other leaders at the presidential palace on Friday before heading for a state dinner Saturday night hosted by Ghanaian Prime Minister John Dram@@ Some in other countries view Obama 's Ghana visit as a snub to them .