Sh 1million renovation of Obama’s father’s grave explained
The Siaya county government on Tuesday defended the repair of the grave of US president Barack Obama’s father at a cost of Sh1 million.
Siaya residents hope that the US President will make time to visit the grave of his father, Barack Obama Snr during his visit to Kenya next month.
The county has come under criticism with some residents saying that the amount is too high.
According to the county minister for Tourism, they intend to use the grave as a tourist site and expand its location into a recreational park. He said construction of the park is has at the initial stages.
“We receive at least 30 visitors per day from all over the world. They don’t have a place to rest whenever they visit Kogelo village,” Mr Joseph Ogutu told the Daily Nation yesterday.
FIRST VISIT
President Obama is scheduled to tour Kenyan next month for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and meet with the government officials.
The July trip is the first time Mr Obama will visit the country of his father’s birth since he was elected president.
The White House has not indicated that President Obama will visit Siaya but expectations are high in Kogelo that he will make the visit.
Mama Sarah Obama, the US president’s grandmother has assured Siaya residents that President Obama will spend three hours at Nyangoma K’ogello during his visit in July.
In an earlier interview, Mama Sarah’s personal aide, Mr Henry Sidiga said President Obama met his grandmother in New York during her recent visit to America and he promised to visit the country and Kogelo before his term as president ends.