Barack-mania: Not just a Western phenomenon

It was increasingly difficult to comprehend why Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama continued to draw criticism for his lack of foreign policy experience this past summer. But maybe that was because everyone around me was cheering on his every move — and they lived halfway around the world.

For those living in Kenya, especially Americans, it’s virtually impossible to escape the omniscient presence of Obama and the questions this November’s elections inevitably yield.

The daily Swahili greeting of “Jambo. Habari yako” (Hello. How are you?), has been replaced with questions like “Are you voting for Barack Obama?” and “Will he be your next president?”

His portrait made into a window decal and slapped on the windows of public buses was a particularly trendy accessory this year, as well as his campaign t-shirts, shipped straight from the United States.

Even the name “Barack Obama” has become one of the most popular names in Kenya. And it appears that Barack-mania is showing no signs of dying down anytime soon.

So what’s so great about a man who’s spent more time living in Indonesia than in his father’s native country of Kenya? The answer for many Kenyans is everything.

Last December, Kenya’s relatively pristine imagine was marred by political violence as their much-anticipated elections were shrouded in allegations over voting fraud. Images of wild lions and majestic giraffes were replaced with photographs of distraught youth wielding machetes, conjuring up visions of Rwanda circa 1994 for many potential visitors.

Since then, the Kenyan government has attempted to overhaul their country’s image, pushing exotic safari packages and highlighting the successes of their citizens and decedents, including Obama.

Kenyan products, places and people have all begun linking themselves to Obama, even though the nominee has only visited the country three times in his life.

“Senator Beer,” an East African brew, was nicknamed “Obama,” and the song appropriately titled “Barack Obama” by reggae artist Cocoa Tea became increasingly popular this summer, with street vendors dressing in costumes and singing its bizarre lyrics

(It's not Hillary Clinton,

It's not John McCain,

It's not Chuck Norris,

I know it's not John Wayne! …

But it is a new trendsetter —

The man who unite(s) America …)

Newspapers have even taken up to supporting Obama, regurgitating campaign mantras like “Yes we can!” to readers without a second guess.

But aside from national favoritism, Obama provides an almost fairytale story of success for many Kenyans. His father, Barack Obama Sr., grew up herding goats in Western Kenya. After receiving a grant to study in the United States, Obama Sr. met Ann Dunham, and conceived Obama.

Though things weren’t always peachy — his parents separated when he was still a child — Obama rose from his modest history to become a Senator, and now a presidential candidate.

His struggle to attain the American dream has been highlighted throughout his campaign, gaining the attention of many Kenyans along the way

In his acceptance speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, Obama spoke about his parent’s “shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to … that through hard work and sacrifice each of us can pursue our individual dreams.”

In Kenya, where many promising college students land jobs as hotel managers or in customer service after graduation, the story of Obama seems inspirational and also oddly attainable.

To put Obama’s importance into a more societal context, it’s key to understand the idea of community and family are strongly tied to his support ongoing in Kenya.

Traditionally, distant relatives, neighbors and friends are treated as members of the nuclear family. A child’s successes and failures are attributed to the care of the entire community rather than simply their guardians.

My Kenyan friend Amos Odero explained that many people feel an intimate familial relationship to Obama even though they’ve never met him. That’s because they believe ethnic, societal and cultural similarities make them kin, despite any biological ties. Furthermore, he said, as a community, “it is as if one of their own is on the way to be president of one of the most powerful countries in the world.”

Aside from the immense pride associated with rearing a possible world leader, some even hope (myself included) that if elected, Obama will share the financial spoils of the United States with developing countries such as Kenya.

Yes the idea may be far-fetched, but it does provide some hope for the almost 19 million Kenyan citizens currently living under the poverty line.

Though I’m not looking for an American colonization scheme in East Africa, I wouldn’t mind seeing a few Obama medical clinics and primary schools dotted along the rural landscape.

So even though Kenyans may not be able to cast their vote, you’ll be sure they’ll be following our politics all the way up to the polling booth in November.

As a fellow U.S. born aid worker in Kenya said, “Even before Obama was in the spotlight, my Kenyan friends were always talking about politics in America. We may not know a lot about Kenyan politics, but they sure know a lot about ours!”

— Kathryn Nelson welcomes comments at letters@mndaily.com.