The win in the primaries by the US democratic presidential candidate Barrack Obama has sent Kenya – his roots – in celebrity mood.
Immediately the results were announced, Kenya, especially Nyanza province where Obama’s father was born and brought up, went into frenzy.
Obama’s grandmother, Sarah Obama, was so elated by the election results. She had no words to express herself as her neighbours from the rural village – K’ogalo in Siaya district (about 500km from Nairobi) where she lives kept on trooping into her compound with congratulatory messages.
Since the announcement, Kenyans have gone on a drinking spree to celebrate Obama’s win. They are slaughtering cows, goats and eating a lot of fish, a delicacy of the Luo community where Obama originates from. The Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga also comes from the Luo community. The Luo community regard Obama’s win as a blessing to Raila who is poised to contest the presidential race in Kenya in 2012. He lost the seat during last year’s disputed presidential election in Kenya leading to a coalition government where he was appointed the PM.
“We can now live like Americans and benefit from America after Obama wins the presidency”, one enthusiast was heard shouting in the streets of Nairobi with the anticipation that Obama will subsequently clinch the coveted US presidency in the coming elections.
Many Kenyans believe that Obama’s win is a Kenyan win as he traces his roots to the country. His grandmother said she received the news of Obama’s win from a relative in South Africa and says “Obama’s win is a Kenyans win”.
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