Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Nyang’oma Kogelo Village.
It was indeed an ecstatic moments for the thousands of enthusiastic Kenyans who had gathered in Nyang’oma Trading Center, and also at the Obama family home on Tuesday morning Siaya County while anxiously awaiting for the US Presidential election results.
Carrying twigs, seats and traditional clubs the huge and enthusiastic crowd burst into loud songs. They danced in rows of youth, women an elderly people. They were joined by President Obama’s 90 year old
Those who had kept vigil and slept in the open and braved the heavy down-pour as the rains pounded the area at the market place . They burst into song and danced, while heaping a lot of the US President as they matched toward the Obama’s family home with songs.
This prompted the overjoyed 90-year old Obama’s step grand mother Mama Sarah Obama to jump up on her feet and joined the dancers. They song {Wan wadhi Ka Sarah wan wadhi rwakoObama”}. Loosely translating “We are heading for Mama Sarah’s home to welcome Obama”.
The song and noisy sounds even awoken those who had already retired to bed at the nearby Kogelo Resort jumped out of their sleep. Earlier on the anxiety had gripped the KOgelo village when the results from Kentucky indicated Romney was leading. Some of the hotel guest slipped back into their room and went sleep in protest.
But all of a sudden they rushed back to the venue in thud and even the boda boda motorbike taxis riders roared back to the center to celebrate the victory when the news came thro8gh the huge TV screen, some women screamed and other even shade tears in joy.
This followed a call by a friend of the Obamas who phoned from the US to break the news.The caller called the proprietor of the Kogelo Resort Mr. Nicholas Rajula who is a cousin of Obama to beak the good news..The news was greeted with sounds of vuvuzelas, blowing of motor vehicle horns and all sort of noisy making musical instruments.
Rajula immediately announced that they would slaughter four more bulls for the crowd to feast on as their morning breakfast!!.
Braving the torrential rains the villagers and visitors danced to the tone of the numerous music including live bands and Ohangla
Batteries of international and local journalists took their positions to monitor celebrations in this tiny village that transformed in the last four years
Addressing newsmen Mama Sarah Obama attributed her step-grand son’s election victory in the US to “Humility and the grace of God helped Barrack Obama win the hotly contested election.”
The grand old granny who kept vigil for the last two nights ever since Monday thanked the American voters for giving her grandson another chance to lead them.
She said there were many people who are perhaps ten times better than Obama, but it was God’s will that he gets the second term.
“I knew he was going to win. We are happy for the victory and we are embracing everyone who visits our home.” she said as women and youth danced in groups.
“My grandson is loving and down to earth. I am asking him to work hard for the people ho voted for him and his opponent Mitt Romney also should consider working with him.” She said, adding that I prayed hard for his victory, because this time around he was competing against very tough opponent.’
Asked by newsmen if she would be travelling the US to witness President Obama inauguration as she did the previously, Mama Sarah shouted , “To bende nanyalo dong {How can I remain behind”}
Mama Sarah expressed her heartfelt thanks to those who have been keeping vigil in the village and in her home following the development via Television Screens sets mounted around and wished them safe journey back to their homes.
For the first time, the Kenyan police officers who have always received order of vetting who to be allow into Mama Sarah’ home on Tuesday morning allowed jovial villagers into the home to celebrate the much awaited victory with Mama Sarah and her immediate family members and relatives inside her compound which has remained heavily guarded ever since the threat of the Alqaeda backed Al-Shabaab in the neighboring Somalia.On the burning issue of President Obama not having considered Kenya a country where he had a family root for a visit Mama Sarah defended her grandson saying he has always been busy working for the people who voted or him.
Unlike in the previous occasion President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and the prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga who is a distance of the Obama immediately appeared in most of the local Television stations in Kenya and promptly offered their congratulations to President Obama in his election victory.
In his message President Kibaki said the re-election was a re-affirmation of the confidence of the Americans to you for your well deserved victory, I commend the American people for showing their confidence in your leadership.
On behalf of the government, the people of Kenya and on my own behalf, I convey our congratulations to you, for your well deserved victory. Kenya, as always, is proud of our association with you. We look forward to deepening of relations between our two countries, during your second term in office.
IN his message the Prime Minister for Kenya Minister Raila Amolo Odinga sent congratulated President Obama. He said Obama had electrified the world with his re-election, something that ha made Africa and Kenya in particular proud.
“It is a tribute to the people of the United States that they have re-elected an African American President amid an immensely trying economic environment that would have tested any incumbent.’”It is therefore also a message of congratulations from Kenya’;s Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and several cabinet Ministers, MPs and leader from all walks of life.
However, the big question which appeared to be in the lips of the many senior African diplomats in Nairobi and elsewhere is “what President Obama re-election meant to the world in general and African continent in particular.
Sub-Saharan Africa has only received one cursory trip from Obama during his first term. So how much will change in President Obama’s second term? That question was, perhaps understandably, barely mentioned in an election campaign that focused on pressing US domestic issues and the Arab uprisings.
The start o Obama’s second term is likely to b preoccupied with more of the same international efforts to remove Al-Qaeda linked rebel from the north of Mali and efforts to ensure that Zimbabwe and Kenya avoid repeating the violence that wrecked their last election.
So far there is no sign of a “grand Obama Doctrine for Africa and perhaps that’s a good thing, given the diversity and complexity of the continent, Obama has left to others to warn about the danger posed by insatiable China, but the second term may give him an opportunity to move away fro preoccupation with war on terror and focusing the broader issues- trade in particular that he raised thee years ago in China,”Commented the Kenyan popular daily The STANDARD’.
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