President Barack Obama’s Kenyan step-grandmother yesterday advised him to be of good character and continue to work for peace.
Sitting on a plastic chair outside her compound in the quiet village of Kogelo, Sarah Obama said she believed her step-grandson’s surprise win was a gift from God.
“I am happy for him,” the elderly Obama told reporters outside her compound in the village of tree-lined dirt roads and maize crops where Obama’s father grew up.
Sarah Obama said she learned of the award from Auma Obama, one of the president’s Kenyan stepsisters, who called from the United States.
She defended the president from those who said he had received the prize too early, saying it “is God-given, whether it is too early or not. But if you deserve an award you get it.”