Obama was the first ever sitting US president to speak in front of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 29, 2015. He gave a speech encouraging the world to increase economic ties via investments and trade with the continent, and lauded the progresses made in education, infrastructure and economy. He also criticized lacks of democracy and leaders who refuse to step off, discrimination against minorities (LGBT people, religious groups and ethnicities) and corruption. He suggested an intensified democratization and free trade, to significantly increase living quality for Africans.[316][317] During his July 2015 trip, Obama also was the first US president ever to visit Kenya, which is the homeland of his father