As the Barack Obama “Yes we can” train thunders across the breath and width of America, from the blue states to the red states and anything in between, bringing Americans the real hope for real change, Africa stands ready to celebrate with everyone who believes in change. Never has an American elections generated so much hoopla and hope in the people of a different continent, like the Obama factor has really brought a lot of optimism and hope in the whole world and particularly in the people of Africa.

Of course the fact that Obama is Africa’s son (his father is from Kisimu in Kenya) who is at the threshold of becoming the leader of the world’s most powerful nation, is enough to cause excitement, but the real issue is the HOPE Africans have that with him at the helm of the most influential country in the world, Africa will get due recognition and attention. What kind of a bad child would he be to forget his people? We, his African brothers and sisters sincerely hope not and we know he won’t disappoint us.

His foreign policy will obviously be shaped mostly by concerns of terrorism and the unfinished business of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran and likes of Venezuala will also be on his foreign policy must do lists in terms of mending the fences and making sure we don’t open another war front. But even with all these huge issues awaiting him, if he wins of course; we believe he will have a special project to emancipate Africa. For decades now America has been shouting against the dictatorships in Africa but has been doing so from afar. The people of Africa were losing hope in America being able to protect them from their dictators and offer them hope. The hope which we hear Obama espouse is what makes us all excited.

Asked by an African brother from the Ivory Coast in the audience at one of his recent rallies, what he was going to do for Africa, Obama did not disappoint me. He spoke of the African problems eloquently like one who had real special interest in the people of Africa. He did not lip-sync an answer from a news article he had read but spoke from the heart. He is well versed with the problems of the motherland. We expect him to be, seeing that he is one of us. He touched on the Kenyan grave situation and offered the most sensible thing that we know is essential. The United States and other world players need to step in before this thing gets too far and get the parties to sit down and come to a settlement for the sake of peace. He also proposed that incentives should be offered to some of these dictators like Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe so they would not hang on to power for too long causing the suffering of their people. “We can say if you retire at the end of your term, here is a million dollars and you can move over” paraphrased. Most of these dictators have more than that amount stashed away somewhere already but certainly that is a sure way to send them away peacefully. The problem in Africa is that leaders believe they are rulers, and as we know rulers do not leave power they rule forever whether the people still like him or not. When they eventually leave it is through a coup or popular rising, or death. And in all cases people will be fed up of these leaders and their policies. Only in South Africa, when Mandela left power, there was a smooth transition because he never wanted to be a ruler but a leader. He is still respected as the leader and father of that nation, the same can be for most African leaders if only they can leave while people still want them.
Obama also proposed macro financial assistance for villagers so they can start income generating projects at no interest rates. Being an African and having been to a village, he knows what he is talking about and is more qualified that the other candidates to talk about Africa.

The last time (2006) that Obama visited Africa, although he went to three countries including South Africa and his father’s birth place of Kisimu in Kenya, all of Africa was excited about an American senator with roots in the motherland. There was such great expectation and Hope that he will see how we live and come back to America and see to it that he helps us out of the poverty, disease and political struggles we have in Africa. And today as he stands at the threshold of becoming Barack Obama the President of the United States of America, Africa can’t wait to bring out and slaughter the cows and goats and celebrate with feasts in the streets especially in Kisimu Kenya. One hopes that the HOPE he is offering the people of America, will be the hope for the whole world and in particular, AFRICA, his other home.