Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
4 November 2008
Nairobi — KENYA is in a state of high excitement in expectation of a victory by Democratic candidate Barrack Obama in today's 44th American presidential election.
Virtually all Kenyans including Cabinet ministers, religious leaders and business executives said an Obama win would be good for the country.
Last night the latest CNN poll showed the Illinois senator with a Kenyan father was leading Republican candidate John McCain by 7 points. A Gallup poll even gave Obama a 13-point lead as the two candidates made last minute attempts to win over undecided voters.
Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula spoke for many when he said a win for Obama heralds better days for Kenya.
"All indications are that he will win. As Kenyans we are wholeheartedly hoping that he wins. An American president with Kenyan roots can be a historic achievement," declared Wetangula.
"The US is a friend of Kenya and an Obama presidency will strengthen our friendship. I have no doubt that first and foremost he will be an American president, but there are still discretional decisions that would be of benefit to countries like Kenya," stated Wetangula.
Wetangula noted that the excitement in Kenya shows that Kenyans feel they have a real stake in the American elections.
'A loss will dishearten Kenyans. It would be a blow to them. However, whether a Democratic or Republican wins, it will herald a foreign policy of mutual respect, benefits and fight against terrorism and peace in the Horn of Africa," he said.
"Change is coming to Kenya and the world at large. Kenya is bound to benefit particularly in tourism, where people would want to visit the land where the President's father came from," believes Forestry and Wildlife minister Dr Noah Wekesa.
Tourism Minister Najib Balala was also optimistic that an Obama win would generate positive publicity for the country which could translate into more tourists visiting the country.
"His win will be good public relations for the country's image," he said. He pointed out that the elections comes just as the World Travel Exhibition kicks off in London next week and Kenya will use the American election to showcase the country as a prime tourism destination.
Balala said Obama's win is good for generational change and an encouragement to young politicians not only in Kenya but worldwide.
Former Kikuyu MP Paul Muite said Kenyans will be overjoyed by an Obama win but must not underestimate the conservatism of the government bureaucracy in the United States.
Nevertheless Muite said Obama would be a change from the Bush administration in terms of policy.
"We expect Obama to listen more to Kenya and the Third World and its priorities,' he said.
Nairobi Stock Exchange CEO Chris Mwebesa said the feelgood factor of an Obama win will be good for the economy "but we should not expect too much".
Anglican leader Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi said an Obama win would be a great victory to the forces of change across the world.
"I pray God to guide the people of America into making a good choice between the two. We thank them for a healthy competition so far," he said.
The Chairman of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Vimal Shah, said the win would be a morale booster and a source of pride for Kenyans.
"Kenya will be looked at positively in the US but we still have to work on our own economy ourselves," he said.
Former minister Joseph Kamotho said the win should hopefully translate into positive polices for Third World countries.
"The win should also be able to bring peace and racial harmony," he said.
In Kogelo, Obama's acentral home, his relatives banned the media from their compound for the second time in a week due to the large numbers of journalists who want interviews.
Family spokesman Malick Abongo Obama said they could no longer handle the swarms of journalists.
"We would like to brief the media as much as we can but we have other things to do. We will call you when we have something to say," Malick told a crowd of journalists.
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