Kenya: Obama’s ‘Dead-Beat’ Dad
I am a Kenyan and a number one supporter of Obama. And yes even I get carried away sometimes and wonder if Obama could possibly be my uncle by some complex relationship through my dad’s grandma who is said to partly belong to the same tribe that Obama’s biological father hails from. Then I think, what if it was true? Then what? Nothing. Because plain and simple; Obama is as Kenyan-American (as he is now being called) as Oprah is Liberian-American. Similarly, Obama is as Kenyan as he is Muslim. Obama’s parents separated when he was two, divorced when he was four and Obama’s dad showed up in his life only once when he was about 10. In his best seller “Dreams from my Father” (not Realities from my Father) Obama seems to be the one reaching out to Kenya and not the other way round .
At a recent conference called ‘The Obama Effect’, in his presentation Edwin Okon’go suggested that Kenya is like a dead-beat dad to Obama. The one who claims the succesful child even though this success is not in any way a product of their relationship. I whole heartedly agree. Somehow this whole ‘Obama-son-of-our-Kenyan-soil’ scenario reminds me of that very common attitude in Kenya where good, successful children have inherited the genes of their father and the others’ definitely of their mother. There have been numerous expectations of Obama in Kenya and they contunue to grow even among Kenyans living in the U.S. Understandably poor Kenyans at home have lost hope in their leaders and are instead of calling for change from President Mwai and Prime Minister Raila Odinga they are looking to Obama. Talk about the ‘Audacity of Hope’. Well what if Obama doesn’t deliver? Will they be upset? Will they reject him again?
On that note I urge my fellow ‘wananchi’ to support Obama, not because of what he can do for Kenya, but for what he will do for the U.S and the world.
By: Nelima
Source: http://minneafrica.wordpress.com/
0 comments so far...
Leave a comment
Use the form below to add comments, suggestions, and the inevitable off-topic banter (please keep to a minimum). Be aware that we reserve the right to edit any raw language or banter that's too far off topic.
