I Travelled to K’Ogelo in a Crowded Matatu and Bus Full of Chickens: Obama Recalls His First Visit to Kenya in 1980s

Barack Obama, the former US President has opened up on his first visit to his father’s ancestral home, Kogelo in Siaya County in the late 1980s, when he was 27 years.

In his speech during the official launch of Sports, Resource and Vocational Training Centre built by Sauti Kuu Foundation, an organization founded by her sister Auma, in Kogelo on Monday, Obama described the first tour to Kenya as ” so special.”

“I am grateful for the friendship and hospitality. It is such a great joy to be back with many people who are my family and those who claim to be my family,” he said at the start of his speech to laughter from guests.
 
“I was 27 years-old at the time working as a community organizer when I got the opportunity to know Auma. I fell in love with her and even though I hadn’t grown up with her I was determined to better understand the life of my father and that of his people,” said Obama.

“I flew to Nairobi and Auma hosted me in her flat where we talked all night as I familiarized myself with the city and its surroundings.”

Obama and his sister Auma then travelled to Alego, the homeland of his father Barack Obama Snr, after staying in Nairobi for a few days.

“We took a slow train which travelled overnight and when we finally got to Kisumu we took a bus. In the bus, there were some chickens on my lap and some sweet potatoes digging into my side,” said Obama.

“When we arrived near our destination we had to get into a matatu which was more crowded than the bus. It dropped us off and we walked up a dirt path to Mama Sarah’s house although it wasn’t quite as fancy as it is now.”

The long journey to his late father’s homeland left the future US President tired and famished.

“I was hungry but I had to catch a chicken to eat so we scurried around the yard until we caught a chicken and fortunately Mama Sarah (Obama’s grandmother) was better with a knife than I was because I think I got a little squirmish,” said Obama.

He said visiting his father’s grave gave him the sense of satisfaction that no five star hotel could offer.

“I visited my father’s grave and it gave me a sense of satisfaction that no five star hotels could ever provide because it connected you to your past and the stories of those who came before you. It grounded you and gave you a sense of place that then fortified you for the future.”

He also explained why he didn’t manage to go to Kogelo the last time he visited Kenya in 2015, while still in office.

“When I visited as the first sitting American President, it was hard for me to get here. I would have wished to sit with my family at the home square but it couldn’t happen. Today I am here as a brother …a citizen with connections with Africa,” he said.