Obama’s Family Fails to Claim Idle Assets Held by the Government

The Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA) says the Obama family is yet to claim their idle assets taken over by the government.

The government agency says the family has not applied for custody of the assets left behind by the late Barack Hussein Obama, father to former United States President Barack Obama.

UFAA says the assets of undisclosed value are in form of shares at the East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) and belonged to Obama Senior who died in a car crash in 1982. The shares, together with Obama’s life insurance cover were transfered to the agency in 2014 after they were deemed idle.

“We have contacted the Obamas to make a claim but a response is yet to come,” said Kellen Kariuki, chief executive at UFAA. “The claim must be made by the rightful person who has the letters of administration.”

Obama, a former senior employee at the Treasury had picked his eldest son Roy Obama (Malik) and his youngest wife, Jael Otieno as beneficiaries of his wealth.

Obama left behind four wives, two of who he married while in the United States and eight children.

Malik Obama is reported to have fallen out with members of his family two years ago when he endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump against Barack Obama’s Democratic flag bearer Hillary Clinton in 2016 US presidential elections.

After senior Obama’s death, a fierce legal battle between his first wife, Kezia and the youngest wife Jael ensued over his estate, then estimated at Sh410,500.