Ministers declare support for Obama

By ISAAC ONGIRI

A victory for Democrats in tomorrow’s US elections will make Kenya a souvenir country, Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said.

Raila and 10 Cabinet ministers declared their support for Obama.

The PM, who spoke before he left to attend the Nanjing World Urban Forum in China, said an Obama win would see tourists flock to Kenya to see the roots of the world’s most powerful man.

"I can tell you for sure that Obama will win. You all know in the US there is only one Obama. In Kenya, there are many Obamas and it is good to support him," Raila said.

He said he would monitor the elections from China and expressed hopes that nothing would stop Obama’s victory.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Samuel Poghisio yesterday told The Standard he supported Obama.

Poghisio said an Obama win would be a good thing for Kenya and Africa, saying it was particularly a unifying factor for a country that had lessons to learn from disunity.

Poghisio, however, said ministers’ support for Obama did not mean that Kenyans hated his rival John McCain.

"Kenyans support Obama a hundred per cent. This is something the whole globe has endorsed and Kenya cannot be excluded. But we love McCain too," said the minister.

good for africa

Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said an Obama win would be good for Africa.

"I cannot hide my preference for him. I pray for him to win, because this is something that will powerfully put Kenya on the global map," Nyong’o said.

Kangundo MP Johnson Muthama, speaking from Bangkok, said he supported Obama and called on Kenyans to take time to monitor the poll and make use of lessons learnt.

Kiambaa’s Stanley Githunguri asked Kenyans to pray for Obama, saying his win was inevitable.

"If Americans can vote for a black candidate, then we would rather change how we vote in Kenya or everyone will laugh at us," Githunguri said.

Cabinet ministers Charity Ngilu, James Orengo, Fred Gumo, Otieno Kajwang’, Paul Otuoma, Joseph Nyaga and assistant ministers Alfred Kangati and Wavinya Ndeti said they supported Obama.

Meanwhile, local and international journalists jammed Kogelo village in Siaya to cover the historic US presidential elections. They camped outside the home of Sarah Onyango Obama, stepgrandmother to Barack Obama, yesterday.

The family refuted claims that an international media organisation had been given exclusive rights to broadcast from Sarah’s home.

— George Olwenya and Winsley Masese