BriefingAfrica

Kenya Swept Up in Obama Mania as U.S. Election Approaches

Kenya Swept Up in Obama Mania as U.S. Election Approaches

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Since Sen. Barack Obama early last month secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. president, Obama fever, already widespread, has become an epidemic in this country where the senator's father was born.

"Everyone now claims that he or she is a cousin of the senator," said Tom Ombaka, a businessman in Kisumu, the lakeside city where many of Obama's relatives make their homes. "I have met more than 60 people since Obama won endorsement to run for the presidency . . . who claim they are the senator's blood relatives."

Even Kenya's Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, has hopped on the bandwagon of those claiming shared ancestry with the Democratic nominee for president. Odinga claims he is a cousin.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

BEGIN YOUR WPR SUBSCRIPTION NOW

More World Politics Review