BARRACK OBAMA ALEGO KOGELO VILLAGE HOME AREA IS NOW DECLARED A PROTECTED HOME BY KENYA GOVERNMENT AMID PROTEST BY RELATIVES IN RACHUONYO, THE REAL BIRTHPLACE OF OBAMA SNR.
Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
The place where United States President, Barrack Obama traces his Kenyan roots has now been gazette as a protected area under the National Museum and Heritage Act law of Kenya.
The Jo-Kogelo sub-clan, a sub-clan of the larger Alego clan within the populous Luo community is in Siaya district. It is now among the other areas which were earmarked for preservation in a Kenya gazette notice by the Heritage Minister William Ole Ntimama.
This typical Kenyan rural village where Mr Obama Snr, the father of the US President grew up during his childhood, will from now onward enjoy the Kenyan government keen watch and intensive publicity.
Barrack Obama Snr, however, was born at Kanyadhiang’ village in Central Karachuonyo in Rachuonyo district, and his father, the late Hussein Onyango Obama migrated back o his roots in Kogelo in 1941, when Barrack Obama Snr was only three years old.
The move is considered a step closer towards the building of the proposed themed Dero Kogelo Library and Cultural Centre at the village, which is to be funded by the government.
The Giriamas at the Coast, who have a rich cultural history, also had their funeral posts, called Rigango preserved by the same Act. Also gazetted in the same category as a protected site is the City Park, a popular recreation site located in the Parklands areas of Nairobi ,which has been the target of the City’s land grabbers.
The three are joined by former Italian Military Barracks, St Peter’s Catholic Church and Old Asian School – all located in Nairobi.
The gazette notice also identified the administrative offices of the Muka Mukuu Farmers Cooperative Society as a national landmark, and categorized them as areas that needed special government protection.
These offices are located in Kilimambogo, in Machakos district and are part of the expansive 33,000 acres of farmland owned by the cooperative society.
Although the notice does not, however, give any information on the possible transformation of the new sites, it is highly likely that they will join other protected areas that regularly receive government protection and funding for their regular maintenance.
The include Olorgesailie in Turkana, Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Jumbo La Mtwana {the large house of the slaves}in Mombasa, Mnarani in Kilifi, Kobil Fora in Turkana and Songhor in Nyando district Nyanza Province.
Uhuru Gardens ,located on Lang’ata Road in Nairobi, is the largest of them.
The gazetting of the Alego Kogelo home near Nyang’oma Market in Siaya as the birthplace of the late Barrack Obama Snr has already elicited a lot of controversy with the majority of Obama’s close relative who lives in Kanyadhiang’ village, Central Karachuonyo arguing that the late Barrack Obama Snr was not born in Alego Kogelo, but was born in Kanyadhiang’ near Kendu Bay.
His late father, Hussein Onyango only migrated back to his Kogelo roots in 1941, long after the late Barrack Obama was born in 1936 at Kanyadhiang’. If the protection is meant for the Obama family, then it is right, but if it is meant for commemorating the birthplace of Barrack Hussein Obama Snr, then it is very wrong, and could even be subject to a court action.
This is an important part of history and the government must conduct proper studies. “It rapes and abuses the history of this country”, said Obama’s close relative at Kanyadhiang’, Kendu-Bay, Rachuonyo district, who requested for his anonymity.
The correct historical background of the late Barrack Obama Snr, the father of the US President Barrack Obama Jnr, is that he was born in 1936. The family moved out of Kanyadhiang’ and settled in Alego Kogelo in 1939, when the late Obama was a three year old toddler. Therefore, the right place for building the memorial site as his birthplace is at Kanyadhiang. This is also where the late Obama’s largest family concentration is.
The Kanyadhiang’ family, with the assistance of the area MP, Eng. James Rege, have already erected a permanent sign post leading to the a site they would wish preserved as the memorial birthplace of the late Barrack Hussein OIbama Snr.
The idea of treating Alego Kogelo as the birth place of Barrack Hussein Obama Snr is a fraudulent act and abuse of the history of the family. The Obama family living at Kogelo Nyang’oma, they argued, need protection rights, but not a memorial site, because Obama was not born there. This kind of history will always confuse the future generations and they called upon the Heritage and Cultural Minister William Ole Ntimama to send a team of investigators at Kanyadhiang’; with the view to ascertain the truth before acting.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 6:41 AM
Subject: Obama relatives are in dispute with the late Obama Snr memorial birthplace monument
It is true the late Senior Obama was born in Karachuonyo ,South Nyanza, but he was raised and died in Kogelo, Nyangoma, the original home of Kogelo Clan.The historical importance of Kogelo is because of the senior Obama’s son who traveled from the USA to see where his late father was buried. The visitors who have come or still coming, are interested to meet president Obama’s grandmother, to see the burial site of the late father of the USA’s president, and other activities within the area.The birth of senior Obama is less important here.
Therefore, the family of the late senior Obama in Karachuonyo should request the government to extend their protection rights to Kanyathiang. It will be unfair to switch the protection rights from Kogelo to Kanyathiang. If the Obama family is not ready to work in unity now, then you may end up not gaining by the presidency of this son of your son .You should not allow politicians to confuse you.