KENYA: U.S. President Barack Obama's victory is greeted by singing and dancing in his grandmother's village in Kenya

Record ID: 362413

  • Title: KENYA: U.S. President Barack Obama's victory is greeted by singing and dancing in his grandmother's village in Kenya
  • Date: 7th November 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CHANTING OBAMAS NAME
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2RGSL1BF63NS7XJI8L4XQRFZ2
  • Story Text: As the world awoke to the news that Americans had vote Barack Obama into a second term in office, in a far away Kenya, Sarah Obama, the president's grandmother, led villagers in Kogelo in song and dance to celebrate the victory.
    Asked whether she had been worried by reports that the Republican challenger Mitt Romney could win, she said it had not bothered her at all.

    "I was not devastated at heart because I had full faith and confidence that he was going to win." said Sarah Obama.

    "It is by the grace of God that Barack has made it to become the president of the United States for the second term. If one is loving then they will find that people will like you and that is what has helped Barack. I am very happy for him, there are so many people in America that think they are better than him and they may be more learned than him but God chose Barack, it is his time."
    Kogelo village where Obama's father was born, watched the election result unfold on TV and after a long, anxious night, they danced to celebrate Obama's victory and hoped to see him again at some stage.

    "He is welcome home. I would just like to tell him to give his best to the people who have shown their faith in him by electing him," said Sarah.
    When Obama took over the presidency, Kogelo was an unknown village in the outside world but that changed as roads were constructed and electricity, which was unheard of before, was finally wired to the village.
    Now with Obama's re-election, Kogelo hopes more development will follow.
    Sub-Saharan Africa went virtually unnoticed as a topic in the U.S. presidential election campaign, focused heavily as it has been on pressing domestic issues such as the lack of jobs and how to prod America's stuttering economy to faster growth.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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