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Election fever continues to grip Kenya as we wait to see if Barack Obama will make it to the White House. We have fake 'Obama' dollar notes being sold on the side of the road in Nairobi and 'Obama' mini buses/matatus with his name and photo emblazoned on rear windscreens.
Kenyans are so proud of their link to Obama. Over the past months his granny in Kisumu has asked for, and had been given, extra security due to the sharp increase in numbers of visitors and well wishers to her home since the American Presidential race began. Today a couple of comedians have set up their own version of an Obama v McCain polling station in Kisumu and apparently the international press are having a field day as Kisumu residents queue up to cast their very own Obama vote. Not many takers for McCain.
Caroline Matoko on Kiss FM said she hopes, of course, that Obama gets in but since Americans have been quoted saying that Africa is a country and Nigeria a continent, she cannot put all her faith in the US voters.
I feel for McCain and Obama during this crazy time of racing around campaigning. They must be exhausted. McCain must be on some sort of drug to stand the pace and by the way, how old is his wife? Thirty years younger than him? Or is that his daughter standing behind?
It's difficult not to get swept up in it all. However, it's hard because before the Kenya election, many felt Raila Odinga would be Kenya's version of Obama. He too was promising change. The race looked to be almost a 50/50 tie (like in the US) but then things descended into chaos, violence, bloodshed so in light of that and the fact that the leaders in Kenya are still bickering over who was responsible and shirking any responsibility for the violence, I'm afraid I'm a bit off politicians for the time being...