Malik Obama, half-brother of former US President Barrack Obama, has spoken on the latter's planned July 16 visit to Kenya and, specifically, his K'ogelo ancestral home in Siaya County.
Malik, whose differences with the more famous Obama captured global attention in 2016 when he endorsed then Republican candidate Donald Trump for the Presidency and hit out at Barack, refused to address his role, if any, in preparations being made by Obama's family and the local community to welcome him.
He categorically declined to comment on anything to do with Obama's visit or the planned establishment of Barack Obama University in K'ogelo.
“I am not willing to grant an interview on that. I have no comment, thank you,” he told Nation when asked whether he would welcome Barrack.
On reports that he was behind a scheme to have the planned university's main campus built in Homa Bay and not K'ogelo as residents had demanded, Malik refused to respond as well.
[caption caption="A photo of Malik Obama from 2016"]
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"Please leave me out of that. If I have anything to say, you will be the first to know,” he stated.
Prof Michael Muiga, the man steering the plan to build the institution, however, told the same daily that Malik had reached out through emmisaries seeking to have the university developed in Homa Bay County.
"Mr Malik, through an aide, reached out to me with the proposal but I insisted that the university must be built in K’Ogelo where the former president’s father is buried.
“Just as Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University was put up in Bondo in honour of Kenya’s first vice president, the Barack Obama University must be in K’Ogelo,” he stated.
In 2016, Malik came out guns blazing as he accused Obama of ignoring his family and caring little about Africa.
“President Obama is my brother and I love him, but he is a hypocrite. He wants nothing to do with Africa despite campaigning on a platform of helping to transform the continent,” he stated at the time.
[caption caption="Malik Obama in a past meeting with Barack Obama at the White House"]
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