Kenyans are anxiously waiting for the outcome of the United
States presidential election as Americans head to the polls to choose a
successor to outgoing President George W. Bush. The election pits Senator
Barack Obama, whose father hails from Kenya, and Senator John McCain. The
latest round of polls show an edge for Obama over McCain as nationwide voting
begins Tuesday. Kenyans unanimously are waiting eagerly as they see Obama as a
son of the country whose rise in US politics would serve as an encouragement to
up and coming youth.
Professor
Kabiru Kinyanjui is a Kenyan political analyst. He tells reporter Peter Clottey
from the capital, Nairobi that Kenyans are cautiously optimistic about Obama's
victory today.
"Kenyans
are waiting with a bated breath to see the result, of which they are expecting
that Senator Obama would be the elected president of the United States of America.
So the mood here is that of expectancy and really waiting for the results to be
declared so that they can break into celebration and thanksgiving," Kinyanjui
said.
He
said Obama's presidential aspiration is a significant unifying factor to all
Kenyans no matter the ethnicity, especially after Kenya's recent general
election led to violence and a loss of lives and property.
"This
is one event which is uniting Kenya. And Kenyans have been looking for an event
where they would feel good and they can be united. The election as the
candidacy of Barak Obama is one event, which has really brought Kenyans
together. They see him as a Kenyan, son of a Kenyan father, who is really doing
good and is really making them proud to be able to identify with him," he said.
Kinyanjui
said Kenyans see hope in senator Obama.
"They
also see this as a great opportunity for an African American to rise to the
highest position in United States something which breaks barriers of history
and the back of racism, and ushers in a new era not, only for America, but for
the whole world," Kinyanjui pointed out.
He
said a possible Obama victory would not only be historic, but also
inspirational.
"This
is going to be inspirational to young people to stand for justice, to stand for
economic progress, and also to appreciate that quality of leadership and to
aspire to a different kind of leadership than we have experienced in the past.
So this has got inspirational value to the young Kenyans who want to see
quality leadership emerging in the country," he said.
Kinyanjui
said Africans should draw inspiration from the US election to entrench
democracy in the continent.
"One
element is for Africa to strengthen democracy by focusing on issues focusing on
leadership qualities, focusing on policies which can be able to move the
continent ahead. This is a major lesson to see the way the American elections
have moved focusing on economic welfare, focusing on the security of America,
and focusing on the quality on the person who can lead and provide the
leadership, which is required by the majority of the people," Kinyanjui noted.