By EVELYN KWAMBOKA and LAWRENCE ALURU
Kenya: US President Barack Obama’s decision to skip Kenya in his Africa tour has sparked an outcry in his Siaya County ancestral home.
His father, the late Barack Obama senior hails from K’ogelo village in Siaya County. Since he was elected into office, locals have been anxiously waiting for his visit.
At his Nyangoma home, step-grandmother Sarah Obama continued receiving visitors as relatives went on with their duties.
“I have no idea if my brother is coming to Tanzania. He is the US President and he is working for his people,” said his stepbrother Malik Obama, who vied for the Siaya gubernatorial seat in the March 4 polls as an independent candidate.
He said as a family, they do not have any comment on his visit to the country that shares Lake Victoria with Kenya.
His cousin Nicholas Rajula said they had not received any invitation to Tanzania and had just learnt from the media that their kinsman will be visiting the neighbouring country.
South East Alego ward representative Joshua Osuri, said people are disappointed by Obama’s decision to skip Kenya. “We, the people of Siaya County and more particularly South East Alego are disappointed that our son cannot pass by his ancestral home,” said Osuri.
He said they do not know the reason why he decided to skip Kenya. He appealed to the US President to review his schedule and visit Kenya and Siaya. He said during his visit in 2002, they honoured Obama by naming institutions after him.
“We would have loved to welcome him home to bless the schools named after him when he was here in 2002,” Osuri said.
Obama first visited K’ogelo in 2002 while serving as a Senator. During the tour, he also delievered a lecture at University of Nairobi.
