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Oprah skips Kenyan visit as Obama arrives
Jul. 14, 2018, 6:00 am
By JAMES MBAKA and ERIC OLOO@thestarkenya
inRead invented by Teads
Winfrey is among 350 celebrities and notables travelling to Africa together with Obama. He will be in Kenya on Sunday and Monday before flying to South Africa for a series of events, primarily the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture.
Winfrey's handlers have told the Star that the iconic TV personality, entrepreneur and philanthropist will go straight to South Africa for a series of functions.
Read:'Sauti Kuu' launch: 400 dignitaries to escort Obama in Kenyan visit
Obama and his guests will attend the launch of Sauti Kuu, his half-sister Auma Obama’s NGO for youth empowerment, in Kogelo, Siaya county on Monday.
Before they head to Kogelo, Obama and his family will pay a courtesy call on President Uhuru Kenyatta and meet Opposition leader Raila Odinga in a tightly scheduled programme.
While withholding details of Obama’s itinerary, immediate former State House spokesman Manoa Esipisu confirmed that Obama will meet Uhuru on Sunday before leaving for Siaya.
Details of Obama’s arrival time and his tops are closely guarded for security reasons, but the Star understands that the ex-President will land on Sunday afternoon.
This will be Obama's fourth visit to Kenya. His father was born in Kogelo.
On Monday morning, Obama will fly to Kisumu International Airport where he will be received by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o before taking a chopper flight to Siaya.
Obama will land at Ng’iya Girls School where he will be received by Siaya Governor Cornell Rasanga. He then will be driven to Kogelo village to inaugurate the Sauti Kuu Foundation.
After his Kenya visit, Obama will proceed to South Africa.
This will be his first visit to Kenya since leaving office on January 20 last year. He has visited Kenya three other times, in 1987, 1992 and in 2015 when serving his second term in the White House.
Unlike the 2015 visit when Obama became first sitting US President to visit Kenya, on this trip he is travelling as a private citizen, albeit a celebrity.
In 2015, Obama was received by Uhuru and US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec in a high-profile reception that almost brought the country to a standstill.
READ:Kisumu and Siaya hotels to reap big during Obama visit
A senior official at the Foreign ministry told the Star Obama's reception will conform to the protocol for visiting former heads of state and government.
“He will be received as we have done for other visiting former Presidents. We have had many former heads of state and I don’t think there is anything different with Obama,” the official said
When he visited in 2015, Obama said he would return without the trappings of power and when the dsituation would be more relaxed.
“I know that there are still places in this beautiful nation that I have not discovered. I am going to make sure that I get back and it is not just Kenya, there is an ecosystem that is connected from Uganda to Tanzania. Climbing Kilimanjaro seems like something that should be on my list of things to do once I get out of here,” he said at the time.
“The Secret Service does not like me climbing mountains but as a private citizen hopefully I can get away with something like that.” But not on this trip.
“I will be back to Kenya next time, maybe not in a suit. I would also come with (my daughters) Malia and Sasha. My family loves Kenya,” Obama said.
Auma is Obama Senior’s daughter from his first wife Kezia Aoko, while Barrack is the son of Obama Senior and American anthropologist Ann Dunham.
“Obama has always supported me and I will be happy again when he joins his sister on this big day to set up the new sports, resource and vocational training centre on Monday in Alego, Siaya county,” Auma said in an interview on Thursday.
Barry, as Kogelo residents fondly call Obama, will find a spruced-up village, complete with power connection, tarmacked roads, a bighotel and a police post right at the gate of his grandmother Sarah Obama's house.
And tight security.
Obama last visited Kogelo in 2006 when he was a US Senator but the village shot into the limelight following the presidential election of 2008. A lot has changed.
The land near a river, site of the Sauti Kuu Sports Complex, was overgrown with bushes when Obama visited 16 years ago. Mama Sarah’s small house, where he was served traditional vegetables, is now a glistening bungalow with wall-to-wall carpets and a sofa set.
Awaiting Obama is the newly tarmacked Ndori-Siaya road, which was a dusty pot-holed stretch in 2006 when the Illinois Senator visited.
The former US President is likely meet his fierce critic and half-brother Malik Obama who had vehemently opposed his presidency since 2008.
In the recent US elections, Malik broke ranks with the Obamas who backed Democrat Hillary Clinton, choosing instead to throw his weight behind Republican Donald Trump.
Yesterday, Kogelo, Obama’s ancestral home, was eagerly awaiting his arrival amid a flurry of activities to put the finishing touches on the once sleepy village.
Entrance to the Sauti Kuu Foundation Complex, the venue for the launch, has been restricted for security reasons. Only those given special invitation cards can attend.
Siaya county officials, top security chiefs and senior state officials visited the Obama home to assess the progress of the preparations as earth movers helped with landscaping.
Kogelo community spokesperson Nicholas Rajula said Obama would be received with great enthusiasm..
He said although the visit is private, thousands of people are expected to show up to see Obama, with hotels in Kisumu and Siaya counties already fully booked.
"We have over 100-bed capacity at Kogelo Resort Center in readiness for the visitors," the former councilor said.
Rajula was addressing the media on Friday on the sidelines of the meeting held by church and local leaders on preparations to present a memorandum to Obama.
He said leading bands headed by rhumba maestro John Junior, Osogo Winyo and traditional Ohangla Guru would perform over the weekend.
Siaya Deputy Governor James Okumbe said the county would provide "all the support the Sauti Kuu Initiative needs, including community mobilisation for
increased access and utilisation of the programmes."
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2018/07/14/oprah-skips-kenyan-visit-as-obama-arrives_c1786728
Jul. 14, 2018, 6:00 am
By JAMES MBAKA and ERIC OLOO@thestarkenya
inRead invented by Teads
Winfrey is among 350 celebrities and notables travelling to Africa together with Obama. He will be in Kenya on Sunday and Monday before flying to South Africa for a series of events, primarily the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture.
Winfrey's handlers have told the Star that the iconic TV personality, entrepreneur and philanthropist will go straight to South Africa for a series of functions.
Read:'Sauti Kuu' launch: 400 dignitaries to escort Obama in Kenyan visit
Obama and his guests will attend the launch of Sauti Kuu, his half-sister Auma Obama’s NGO for youth empowerment, in Kogelo, Siaya county on Monday.
Before they head to Kogelo, Obama and his family will pay a courtesy call on President Uhuru Kenyatta and meet Opposition leader Raila Odinga in a tightly scheduled programme.
While withholding details of Obama’s itinerary, immediate former State House spokesman Manoa Esipisu confirmed that Obama will meet Uhuru on Sunday before leaving for Siaya.
Details of Obama’s arrival time and his tops are closely guarded for security reasons, but the Star understands that the ex-President will land on Sunday afternoon.
This will be Obama's fourth visit to Kenya. His father was born in Kogelo.
On Monday morning, Obama will fly to Kisumu International Airport where he will be received by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o before taking a chopper flight to Siaya.
Obama will land at Ng’iya Girls School where he will be received by Siaya Governor Cornell Rasanga. He then will be driven to Kogelo village to inaugurate the Sauti Kuu Foundation.
After his Kenya visit, Obama will proceed to South Africa.
This will be his first visit to Kenya since leaving office on January 20 last year. He has visited Kenya three other times, in 1987, 1992 and in 2015 when serving his second term in the White House.
Unlike the 2015 visit when Obama became first sitting US President to visit Kenya, on this trip he is travelling as a private citizen, albeit a celebrity.
In 2015, Obama was received by Uhuru and US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec in a high-profile reception that almost brought the country to a standstill.
READ:Kisumu and Siaya hotels to reap big during Obama visit
A senior official at the Foreign ministry told the Star Obama's reception will conform to the protocol for visiting former heads of state and government.
“He will be received as we have done for other visiting former Presidents. We have had many former heads of state and I don’t think there is anything different with Obama,” the official said
When he visited in 2015, Obama said he would return without the trappings of power and when the dsituation would be more relaxed.
“I know that there are still places in this beautiful nation that I have not discovered. I am going to make sure that I get back and it is not just Kenya, there is an ecosystem that is connected from Uganda to Tanzania. Climbing Kilimanjaro seems like something that should be on my list of things to do once I get out of here,” he said at the time.
“The Secret Service does not like me climbing mountains but as a private citizen hopefully I can get away with something like that.” But not on this trip.
“I will be back to Kenya next time, maybe not in a suit. I would also come with (my daughters) Malia and Sasha. My family loves Kenya,” Obama said.
Auma is Obama Senior’s daughter from his first wife Kezia Aoko, while Barrack is the son of Obama Senior and American anthropologist Ann Dunham.
“Obama has always supported me and I will be happy again when he joins his sister on this big day to set up the new sports, resource and vocational training centre on Monday in Alego, Siaya county,” Auma said in an interview on Thursday.
Barry, as Kogelo residents fondly call Obama, will find a spruced-up village, complete with power connection, tarmacked roads, a bighotel and a police post right at the gate of his grandmother Sarah Obama's house.
And tight security.
Obama last visited Kogelo in 2006 when he was a US Senator but the village shot into the limelight following the presidential election of 2008. A lot has changed.
The land near a river, site of the Sauti Kuu Sports Complex, was overgrown with bushes when Obama visited 16 years ago. Mama Sarah’s small house, where he was served traditional vegetables, is now a glistening bungalow with wall-to-wall carpets and a sofa set.
Awaiting Obama is the newly tarmacked Ndori-Siaya road, which was a dusty pot-holed stretch in 2006 when the Illinois Senator visited.
The former US President is likely meet his fierce critic and half-brother Malik Obama who had vehemently opposed his presidency since 2008.
In the recent US elections, Malik broke ranks with the Obamas who backed Democrat Hillary Clinton, choosing instead to throw his weight behind Republican Donald Trump.
Yesterday, Kogelo, Obama’s ancestral home, was eagerly awaiting his arrival amid a flurry of activities to put the finishing touches on the once sleepy village.
Entrance to the Sauti Kuu Foundation Complex, the venue for the launch, has been restricted for security reasons. Only those given special invitation cards can attend.
Siaya county officials, top security chiefs and senior state officials visited the Obama home to assess the progress of the preparations as earth movers helped with landscaping.
Kogelo community spokesperson Nicholas Rajula said Obama would be received with great enthusiasm..
He said although the visit is private, thousands of people are expected to show up to see Obama, with hotels in Kisumu and Siaya counties already fully booked.
"We have over 100-bed capacity at Kogelo Resort Center in readiness for the visitors," the former councilor said.
Rajula was addressing the media on Friday on the sidelines of the meeting held by church and local leaders on preparations to present a memorandum to Obama.
He said leading bands headed by rhumba maestro John Junior, Osogo Winyo and traditional Ohangla Guru would perform over the weekend.
Siaya Deputy Governor James Okumbe said the county would provide "all the support the Sauti Kuu Initiative needs, including community mobilisation for
increased access and utilisation of the programmes."
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2018/07/14/oprah-skips-kenyan-visit-as-obama-arrives_c1786728
