Jaluo Kama Jaluo rade gi joluo wete gi… East African, international, news, politics, culture, business & economy, environment, arts, are discussed by contributors in Africa and world wide. Writers call for social justice, better governance, quality investment.

Kenya: Obama cultural center project in Kogelo now hangs on balance as family disagreement heightened

Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

TROUBLE is brewing within the US President Barack Obama’s Alego Kogelo backyard of ancestral home in Kenya about serious dispute has erupted over the site where the Kenya government multi-million shillings community cultural centre should be constructed.

An unconfirmed report says an attempt to arm-twist the Ministry of National Heritage, which is undertaking the project estimated to value the colossal amount of shillings to the tune of 100 million is being made in vain. It now makes the project’s viability to hangs on the balance.

On the spot of the bitter dispute is the US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Reneberger who the Kogelo community is accusing of siding with President Obama’s step-sister Dr. Rita Auma who it is being alleged to as posing to be the one who is close to the ear of the UD President and a family contact of the US envoy, and the Kogelo community.

An anonymous letter addressed to the US Ambassador by unknown persons who claims to be members of the Kogelo community has accused the Ambassador of having visited the Offices of the Ministry of National Heritage in Nairobi early this week in the company of Dr.Auma who is allegedly working in total isolation and allegedly causing rift within the Kogelo community over most of the development projects earmarked for the village.

Te unsigned and undated letter written in classic English in handwriting says in part, Your Excellency the Ambassador, I put to your attention certain issues that need to be addressed by your embassy on Kogelo and it5s community.

“First and foremost, it is a real fact that Kogelo and its ancestral community played a key role in the campaign and final election victory of the US President Barack Obama Jnr whose father the late Barack Hussein Obama Snr hails from the village.

President Obama’s Kogelo visit when he was the State Senator proves to his critics that his family roots are traced from this small community and family Kogelo Nyang’oma village in Siaya district, Nyanza Province of Kenya where his father and grand father are buried.

On his presidential election and victory day, the Kogelo community once again featured prominently along side his Chicago home celebrations and prayers and well wishes. This explain the role and position the Kogelo community plays in Obama’ Presidency in the united States of America.

The schools are Senator Obama Secondary and Primary schools, which are built on the land that was donated by his late grand father Hussein Onyango Obama.

The letter went on,” Ti-date nothing worth mentioning has come from the US President much as we are also aware that he belongs to the American society.”

Secondly there has to be a distinction between the Obama family and the Kogelo community who are his clansmen in the African concept. The two groups have played more or less different positive roles in Obama campaign and background.

The anonymous letter went on “Your Excellency, your attention should. Be centered on leadership from the two groups. We often see you in Kogelo in the company of f the President step -sister Dr. Rita Auma who poses as President Obama ears in the family and may be extension the community leadership. Dr. Ouma performance, however, is highly doubted as there existed squabbles and differences in their own unit This has not augur well for the benefits the family would get from the Kenya government goodies and Obama himself.

A case in point the letter states is the proposed multimillion Obama Kogelo Cultural Center, which the Obama family is seriously divided in support of the place of where the should be located in the village after refusing to allow the government of Kenya have the Center constructed on the family land plot.

The author of the anonymous letter further alleged that it has been reliably learnt that Dr. Auma has even allegedly gone as to the extent of involving the US Embassy in Nairobi in solving her differences with the local community members who are donating the free land forth is noble community investment.”She is only doing this to satisfy her own selfish ego and purporting it the desire of President Obama.

On President Obama step sister’s inner family circle, the letter alleged.’ Nobody seemed to be in-charge of the 88 year old Mama Sarah Obama’s dairy and care. She recently visited the Libyan erratic President Muamor El-Gadhafi to the surprise and chagrins of the White House in Washington DC, an act which apparently does not augur well with the US-Libya diplomatic relations which has never been cordial and warm in the past years.

And according to a source in Kogelo Nyang’oma, Mama Sarah Obama visited Libya without a proper delegation and approval of the entire family. This Libya visit was among her many other several Islamic Arabians states she has visited in recent past.

Similarly, Dr Auma’s real brother Malik Abong’o Obama has also established many Arabian contacts in his dealings and investments. Unless this practice is taken care of early enough it might soon embarrass the Obama Presidency in the United States,”says the unsigned letter, which is believed to have been written by a close family member armed with insight information..

Three groups of Kogelo Nyang’oma villagers had offered land plot for the construction of the now controversial Obama Cultural Center in which the government of Kenya has agreed to invest Kshs 100 million. One Mr Joshua Otieno ws the first to offer his five acre land for free, the second person is a businessman Nicholas Owino Rajula who also offered a four acres of land for free, and the third group, which is said to be seeking for huge sums of money in land compensation is said to be the source of disagreement in the village.

Both Ambassador Renerberger and Dr. Auma Obama could not be reached for their immediate comment. It is not clear whether a copy of this letter has also reached the two or not. It is, however, clear that there is a deeply rooted disagreement and wrangling within the Obama family in Alego Kogelo, which need to be resolved with the speed so that the squabbles do not sabotage and derail the proposed Obama Cultural Center project in honor of the US President.

The alleged involvement of Ambassador Reneberger is another angle which is causing a lot of concern among the Kogelo community.

Ends