From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 10:03 AM

Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

It has now been confirmed that the Kenya government has a tentative plan to built a Kshs 112 million Cultural Centre in honor of the US President Barack Obama at his ancestral home in Nyang’oma Kogelo village in Siaya district.

The structure, apart from being a tourist attraction project, will also serve as a memorial site for the late Barrack Obama Snr, the father of the US President. A compartment will be partitioned for the purpose of storing all the Obama Snr works, book and publications

In a banner headline article, the SUNDAY NATION reported that it has learned that the proposal to construct the Cultural and Leadership Centre will be the subject of discussions between the Permanent Secretaries of the various government Ministries. The meeting is scheduled to be held tomorrow at the Office of the President{Harambee House} in Nairobi.

The report further disclosed that the Permanent Secretaries have been summoned by the Head of the Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Ambassador Francis Muthaura. Some of the top agenda to be discussed include tourism project and compensation to the President Obama’s family, and their immediate neighbors in Siaya, for the land that the government intends to acquire for the project

The project is meant to attract a large number of tourists from across the world interested in seeing the ancestral home of the man who has surmounted racial barrier to become the first black President of one of the most powerful nations on earth.

Other development at the Obama home village include the modern rural country, medium sized hotel, which is located outside Nyang’oma Market, on the one kilometer drive murrum road, that branches off to the Obama’s home. The hotel, when completed, will have close to 20 rooms, several of them double, plus two special suits.

The hotel which is expected to cost between Kshs 8 million and Kshs 10 million shilling is the pet project of a young Siaya and Nairobi business entrepreneur, Mr. Nicholas Otieno Rajula, who is a close relative of the Obamas. Rajula had last year acted as the Kogelo family spokesman during the installation of President Obama in Washington, where he led 200 strong Kenyan delegation to the ceremony.

The government has also installed the electricity and water supplies to the home of President Obama’s step-grand mother, Mama Sarah Hussein Onyango Obama, and her sons and grandsons.

The report further explained that the Kenyan government is seeking to cash in on Obama’s ancestry, even as Washington steps up pressure on Nairobi to carry out judicial and security reforms, that are considered vital to save the country from sliding into another round of politically inspired violence.

The report adds that the meeting of the Permanent Secretaries, called for tomorrow by Mr. Muthaura, in a letter dated 29th October, says in part that, “Owing to the crucial position that tourism occupies in the national development agenda, especially in the delivery of the goals of the Kenya Vision 2030..It is expected that parliament will give this Bill priority.

The Ministry of Cultural and National Heritage had announced last year that it had proposed to establish a cultural Centre, comprising a Museum, a library, a gallery and a leadership meting centre in the memory of the late Barack Obama Snr, the father of the US President Barack Obama Jnr.

The move that declared Alego Kogelo, Nyang’oma village a tourism site comes after the approval of the new Tourism Bill and policy in August.

Kenya’s Minister for Culture and National Heritage, William le Ntimama, confirmed that the government had declared to make President Obama’s father’s Kogelo home a national heritage site. ”This is a great opportunity to open up the sleeping forty year old Western Kenya Tourists Circuit, and we have asked the Treasury to find us soma money of projects that will make this a truly memorable cultural site”, Ntimama said, adding that a proposed tourism Bill, which will provide the legal basis for the policy, proceeds to Parliament for debate and enactment.

Currently, tourism is governed by several fragmented Acts of Parliament and legal notices, those establishing public institutions.

According to the National. Tourism Policy, Kenya has traditionally been regarded and developed as a coastal {Beach} and wildlife safari destination.

The National Tourism policy seeks to develop and diversify tourism products in Kenya. The strategies to develop and diversify tourism products will focus mainly on eco-tourism, conference tourism, sports ,and cultural tourism“, it explains.

Nyang’oma Kogelo Market, in East Alego Location,Siaya district in Nyanza Province, stands today in sharp contrast to what it was only a year ago.

From a sleepy dust market place only accessed by poorly maintained feeder roads, it has risen to become one of the country’s best known market centers.

There has sprung up many brick structures at the Market. An ultra modern mixed secondary school named Senator Obama Kogelo Secondary School, a primary school, and the previously narrow road leading through one kilometer drive to the Obama’s home has been widened. Also widened is the road that branches off from Ndori Market in Rarieda district across Yala River to Nyang’oma Market, with speculation that the road would be tarmacked soon, and might be linked up with the Luanda Siaya, via Ng’iya road, which is tarmacked.

There is beehive of activities, with visitors coming to Nyang’oma from all over the world, in the hope of having a look at the Obama’s ancestral home. A lot of traffic and visitors from all walks of life come, making a great influx of human being to the home of the 87 year old, cheerful and happy step grand mother of the US President, Mama Sarah Obama.

The visitors include foreign dignitaries, journalists, religious leaders and local politicians. And the human traffic has doubled ever since the installation of President Obama as the US President in January

Ends

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
– – –
Subject: THE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA HAS A PLAN TO CONSTRUCT A MULTIMILLION SHILLINGS CULTURAL AND LEADERSHIP CENTRE IN KOGELO NYANG’OMA IN HONOUR OF THE US PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA.