I don't get it & neither do many Kenyans.
Yes, Kenyans are proud that Barack Obama won the elections BUT he is an AMERICAN. Through & through. As for the vaunted Kenyan connection... it turns out his Kenyan father had little to do with raising Barack Obama. Kudos to his BO's Mother & maternal grandparents.
Obama the father abandoned Obama the son when BO was 1 month old... So Barack was NEVER a "Kenyan" in any sense of the word. He was not born in Kenya, not raised in Kenya, not a Kenyan resident nor a Kenyan citizen.
Congrats to Obama for the victory BUT why has kibz declared a holiday to celebrate Obama's win?
What of the loss of productivity for the typical mwananchi without a cushy government job?
kibz & roocy get paid whether they work or not. Not most Kenyans.
Election day in the USA was a working day for most Americans. There are no official holidays for any of the post-election days. So if the USA marks the historic occasion with a 'working day' why do Kenyans have a 'holiday'?
Who will pay the 1,000s of casual workers who only get paid if & when they work?
Who will pay for the loss of interest income for those whose cheques take 1 business day longer to clear?
Who will pay for the lost business deals/opportunities?
Who will compensate the farmer who delivers his produce but finds the markets are closed?
Who will compensate the businesses that rely on workers patronage e.g. food sellers in the CBD?
We have kenyatta day, moi day & now Obama day? As is, we do not need a krooked wa ngengi day nor a dan 'stealing galore' moi day!
Let Kenyans celebrate Obama's victory BUT not at the expense of their livelihood!
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5 comments:
WHAT IS KENYAS GIFT TO OBAMA???
Even as we celebrate Obama’s success story, even as we with fingers closed wait for his inauguration as the 1st half black President of the USA. We need as Kenyans to ask ourselves this fundamental question. What has been our contribution to Obama Success?
His BIOLOGICAL father was a Kenyan, who however abandoned his son and escaped any responsibilities of child support. Infact Obama confesses that he learnt more form his Kenyan ‘father’ absence than from his presence. This is kenya’s EMBARASSMENT NO. 1. So his real father was the parents who took Obama in and saw him through his childhood and teenage years giving him the values that he now holds. That’s the reality Kenyans.
His ‘Cousin’ Raila has all along been a source of discredit to his good reputation. Raila with his VIOLENT NATURE, COMMUNIST ORIENTATIONS, MUSLIM ASSOCIATIONS have all been used against Obama. Infact, Raila in himself has cost Obama some support and Obama campaign team had to work hard to show how distant in thinking and association these two men are. This is Kenya’s EMBARASSMENT 2. It has not gone unnoticed to the Mc Cain campaign team that Raila call for mass protest in Kenya led to over 1500 deaths. This explains why Obama banished Raila from any visits to his campaign or why Obama campaign team has consistently turned down on 4 occassions RAILA’S MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS totaling 40,000 USD.
Obama’s Aunt who also happen to be Kenyan has been an illegal immigrant in US for a while. This was also ANOTHER EMBARRASSMENT from yet another Kenyan.
Infact, we OWE OBAMA AN APOLOGY AS A COUNTRY. With all these bad publicity from Kenya’s heritage, Obama has been understanding enough not to talk ill of us. For that we should be grateful.
Looking on the other side, Obama’s real family in the US has been a SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND GOOD PUBLICITY. Yet, they have been quite about it as we in Kenya tell the whole world how Kenyan Obama is.
So the reality is that KENYA HAS BEEN AN EMBARASSMENT TO OBAMA.
Agree upto a pt. It'd have been better if they just organised celebrations on Saturday or something.
Y’all need to stop dissing on Kenyans who want to own BO. He is of Kenyan heritage. Sad that his biological father deserted him, but he seems to not have as big issues with it as other people do. Otherwise he would never have attributed his memoirs to him. Fact is, he came to Kenya to find his roots as a youth and again before announcing his candidacy. To me that shows he has deep regard for his ancestral roots. That's a big deal. Were it not for Obama Sr, the world would never have the BO we are celebrating today. While thanking his maternal grandmother, his sisters by name and 'the family that made me who I am', he did mention those who have gone before him. I'd like to think that includes his father. He even thanked ‘all my other brothers and sisters’-must have been talking about his Kenyan family! I could go on and on.
On the public holiday, he he he, we are a long way from the American outlook on productivity and work ethic is all I can say. Obama woke up, took his kids to school and basically went to work.........
Relax, this over critism of taking a day off is being over done. All I see is Obama is a symbol of unity for all Kenyans. All kenyans of different backgrounds, ethnic communities, race are happy and overjoyed on Obama's win. Let the take a day off and bond with each other and forget how divided they became following last years botched elections. After all the people of Nyanza get a party that they had hoped for but missed earlier this year. Then tomorrow it will be business as usual and people will put more input and productivity as they return to work refreshed.
i think that whole story of loss of productivity to the economy is just a pessimistic look at the issues at hand. I agree that an Obama victory has brought different Kenyans from all walks of life together to celebrate. A happier nation is a more productive nation and we are happier so we will be more productive.
As for Kenya being an embarassment to the Obama Campaign you can not be more farther from the truth. Obama sought to establish his links to his father so as to improve his likeability to the African Americans and all other groups in the states as well. He sought to find his father, Kenya did not look for him. Once he had established that link it gave him the appeal needed to propel the whole story of the American dream. So what if his father did not fend for him? Im still proud he has Kenyan blood in him...and for that reason i have no problem celebrating...
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