Obama Mania Grips Kenya as US Elections Reach the Home Stretch.
Two men in Kenya, theancestral home of Barack Obama, admire Senator Obama's pictures printed onT-shirts.In the background isan obama potrait on a wall.Obama fever has gripped Kenya as all eyes and ears are trained on the electrifying US elections to be held tomorrow, November 4, th 2008. Ajabu Images
By John Harrington Ndeta,
AjabuAfrica.com
NAIROBI, Kenya- Nov 3-Will he win come tomorrow? That is the big question many Kenyans are asking themselves as the final lap of the US 2008 presidential elections draws near.
Kenya, the ancestral land of the Democratic Party's flag bearer is engrossed in deep expectation and longing for the US election out come.
In the run to this world class political phenomenon, Kenya witnessed a myriad of Obama and US elements. In 2007, Senator Barack Obama came to Kenya and by then it was not clear that he was going for the top seat of the World Super Power.
Obama challenged the then government to observe a strict fight on corruption that he decried as rampant and negatively affecting many Kenyans. This was in a speech he delivered at the University of Nairobi's Taifa Hall in the heartland of the city.
From that speech, many Kenyans regardless of their tribe or political lining identified with Obama for challenging the status quo on behalf of the citizenry. As he went through the gruelling primaries and emerged the eventful winner, many Kenyans followed keenly as their "son" looked ahead to make history. Many institutions, roads, and new born babies in Kenya were aptly named Obama.
His battle with the republican candidate John McCain has earned him more fame and renown amongst Kenyans of all walks of life. As a popular Bongo Musician Prof J. say in one of his hit lyrics, "ili kufanikiwa nahitaji marafiki na ili kufaninkiwa zaidi nahitaji maadui," which translates to "For me to succeed I need buddies but for me to surpass my challenges, I need a villain." Obama has broken to greater heights of success by the way he has held a steady campaign against republican strongman, John McCain.
To this end, Kenya's are always eager to know every bit of the Obama campaign and how he is fairing in the campaign trail.
Kenyans of all walks of life are hooked up to their television for many hours particularly CNN to keep abreast with developments from the campaign sites in the US. All the major TV Stations in Kenya have reporters in different states following the campaign and posting home firsthand news items from the US.
KTN, NTV and CITIZEN have at least one political reporter in the US and this has made the competition amongst these media houses much more stiff with the audience flipping from one channel to the other just to get a glimpse of what channel has Obama on.
This week, KTN moved to endorse Obama in an editorial read at the beginning of its Primetime news cast at 9.00pm after it had conducted its own opinion poll on who Kenyans supported in the US election. In the TV polls, it was reported that Obama won by 91 percent of the Kenyans who participated in the poll.
Newspapers are on high demand and especially the international news pages. There are those who buy a forty-paged newspaper to only read the two or three pages of the international news which more often covers the US presidential elections campaihgn.
Even the local vernacular radio stations have, as a matter of fact, news items on Obama campaigns when they get to world news.
Kenyans have cherished and loved to be identified with everything that is Obama. T-shirts, badges, and many other products with Obama labels are selling like hot cake. The T-shirts are retailing to as high as Ksh.1 500 with the normal price gravitating at Ksh. 800.
The popular Matatu vans used for commutimg in major cities have been beautifully decorated with Obama portraits. A minibus operator to and from Kayole to towns affirms that the more prominent the portrait, the more passengers one attracts.
Most of the Matatus have a habit of playing loud music and this has now been made juicier by the release of hit reggae songs praising Barack Obama. "The Jamaican lyrics are playing in all public transport vehicles 24/7," said Njoroge, a matatu tout on route number 118 that ply past US embassy buildings and UN offices in Gigiri.
Local reggae station Metro FM has become vibrant with its renditions of reggae vibes and it is increasingly popular to many Kenyans.
Kenya artists, particularly from Luo Nyanza have come up with composition in praise of Obama and such songs are ruling the air waves in the lakeside region of Kenya. Samba Mapangala of the hit song "vunja mifupa" has made a killing with his new single "Obama Ubarikiwe" which is also posted on you tube and vioja space tube.
In Kogelo village, the homeland of Barack Obama Snr, Barack Obama's clansmen are planning a vigil in the village on the eve of elections ostensibly to pray for their kins man in far off USA.
International media has been allowed minimum or no access to Obama's paternal relatives just to avert any eventualities. The government of Kenya has beefed up security in Kogelo village and a police station is under construction to ensure that all goes well in this village in Siaya district, Nyanza province.
Edited by Peter Gaitho
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