It is interesting to look back on special relations of US President Barack Obama with the Kenyan people.
One of the Kenyans who had the privilege of having a life-changing meeting with Obama is Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo who has stated that the American statesman helped her become a better leader.
Ms Odhiambo met Obama in 2006 when the then-Illinois Senator visited Kenya.
At the time, the now Mbita MP was one of the most vocal human rights activists accorded a chance to privately meet the then US Senator at the Serena Hotel.
According to Ms Odhiambo, the encounter helped her decipher a leadership lesson - being human and investing in people. Something that she stated helped her start a successful political career.
Odhiambo would later drift from the civil society towards politics, earning her a nomination to Parliament under the ODM Party after the 2007 politics.
Her career did not stop at the nomination stage as she was able to use that platform to successfully contest a parliamentary seat in the 2013 General Election.
The former human rights activist is currently one of the most vocal legislators in the National Assembly and has stood out owing to her special focus on gender and human rights issues.
Here is Ms Odhiambo’s personal narration of the meeting with Obama:
I met then Senator Barack Obama for breakfast at Serena Hotel as part of a six-member civil society team when he visited Kenya.
The others were Jane Onyango, former Director of FIDA; Maina Kiai, formerly of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights; Betty Murungi, then of Urgent Action fund; the CEO of Muhuri and a sixth person I cannot remember.
The breakfast was for roughly more than two hours and I was struck and amazed at his leadership style. I emulated this in my own campaigns and I have written about it in chapter 1 of my book Leadership Unpacked - lessons for Aspiring Women Leaders under the title “Be humane-invest in people”.
I learnt from him one of the most enduring leadership lessons that even helped in my campaigns — being human and investing in people. He was down-to-earth and treated each of us like we were old buddies. I sat right next to him and he took off his jacket and flung his hand around my chair like we were best friends. He made me have a paradigm shift on leadership.
Leadership that resonates with people is a leadership that is “humane, normal and unassuming”. However, I was also happy with his focus on human rights and governance issues. This is my passion and I was happy that he was focused on that. He was there with Michelle and the girls and they were going about like it was not a big deal. It was in sharp contrast with leadership as we were used to in Kenya.
I was happy he recognised us as part of a team that can bring hope and change to the country. He recognised our commitment and work on governance and human rights.
I am still focused on the same issues and hope to meet him when he comes and even if I don’t, I would like him to know that the six of us are still committed to the same ideals but in different sectors. I have sponsored several human rights specific laws including being one of the “Founding fathers” of our new Constitution.
Did I imagine he would be President? Absolutely. I had not doubt in my mind.
