US President Barack Obama has said that “Africa is on the move,” extolling the spirit of entrepreneurship during a summit in Kenya.

The US president, who arrived in the African country on Friday, made the remarks on Saturday at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in his first official engagement in Nairobi.

"I wanted to be here, because Africa is on the move, Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world," Obama said.

"People are being lifted out of poverty, incomes are up, the middle class is growing and young people like you are harnessing technology to change the way Africa is doing business," he added.

He went on to say that the poverty-stricken country has made “incredible progress” and it now looks different from "when I was here in Nairobi 10 years ago.”

Upon his arrival in Nairobi, Obama met his half-sister Auma Obama and his step-grandmother, known as Mama Sarah.

He is scheduled to visit the memorial park on the site of al-Qaeda's twin 1998 US embassy bombings, which left over 200 people, including 12 Americans and 34 local embassy staff, dead.

He will also meet with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to hold bilateral talks.

Obama is also expected to meet with members of Kenya's civil society on Sunday. The members have complained of growing restrictions in the country.

Security has been tightened in Nairobi as there is fear for possible terrorist attacks during Obama’s visit with the US embassy warning the business summit could be "a target for terrorists."

However, President Kenyatta said the event showed a different side to Africa.

"The narrative of African despair is false, and indeed was never true," Kenyatta said. "Let them know that Africa is open and ready for business."