Kanye West gifts white sneakers to Uganda's president

Rapper Kanye West (left) meets Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni when he paid a courtesy call at State House. PHOTO | UGANDA PRESIDENCY | REUTERS

What you need to know:

  • Rap megastar West is in the Uganda to finish recording his ninth studio album Yandhi, which was meant to drop two weeks ago, until his surprise decision to go and record in Africa to "feel the energy".

Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian on Monday paid a visit to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, gifting the 74-year-old leader a pair of white sneakers.

Rap megastar West is in the Uganda to finish recording his ninth studio album Yandhi, which was meant to drop two weeks ago, until his surprise decision to go and record in Africa to "feel the energy".

The serial Grammy-winning artist — who recently announced he was changing his name to Ye — arrived in Uganda on Saturday.

The country seizing the opportunity to market itself as a tourist destination, with the couple pictured visiting its natural sites.

Museveni welcomed them to the country on his Twitter account.

"I held fruitful discussions with the duo on how to promote Uganda's tourism and the arts. I thank Kanye for the gift of white sneakers. Enjoy your time in Uganda. It is the true Pearl of Africa," he wrote.

It is West's second audience with a president in under a week after his eyebrow-raising meeting with Donald Trump last Thursday, in which he performed a relentless monologue that left even the US President speechless.

His lecture included everything from Trump's protectionist trade policies to replacing Air Force One with a hydrogen plane, black gun crime and "infinite amounts of universe," was met with bemusement and concern.

"We have to go to what is known as Africa, I have to go and find out what it is really called and just grab the soil and cook five meals a day so the metabolism stays up and... have the mic in the open so you can hear nature while we are recording," West told entertainment site TMZ.