That's right, because Hawaii did not register foreign births until 1982. If they tried to get a BC for him in 1961 for a birth in Kenya, they would not have given him one.
Your contention appears to be false based on the recent discovery of the text of Hawaii Territorial Law 57 in force in 1961.
See Hemenway's analysis posted by rxsid:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2423856/posts?page=1
"What in fact the territorial statute in effect before the 1982 statute sets out is an even greater latitude enabling and entitling persons to register a child for up to a year after its birth and to do so, if not attended by a locally licensed physician or midwife, for the parents or one of them to fill out the birth certificate or for a “local registrar” to fill out a birth certificate “from anyone having knowledge of the birth.” Thus a child born outside of Hawaii and attended by a non-Hawaii licensed health care provider or born unattended could get a Hawaii birth certificate nonetheless."