afrol News, 5 November - Kenya has declared Thursday as a national holiday to celebrate first United States black president, Barrack Obama landslide victory in 4 November elections.

Soon after Mr Obama was declared the winner, president Mwai Kibaki announced that Kenyans will on Thursday take a day off to mark historic election of new African American president Obama to the most powerful office globally.

President Kibaki said Mr Obama's victory is not only for African Americans, but for Kenyans. "The victory of Senator Obama is our own victory because of his roots here in Kenya. As a country, we are full of pride for his success," he said.

Mr Obama's father was born in Kenya and he has a large extended family in that east African nation.

"I know Barack Obama and we share many values," he said. "And I look forward to working extremely closely with him in the coming months and years," he said.

"We the Kenyan people are immensely proud of your Kenyan roots. Your victory is not only an inspiration to millions of people all over the world, but it has special resonance with us here in Kenya," president Kibaki was quoted as saying by Daily Nation, one of the leading newspaper.

Meanwhile, Obama's Kenyan family rejoiced, singing "We are going to the White House!" as their relative became the first African-American to be elected US president.

Many in Kenya hope that president Obama will help this impoverished nation, including paying more attention on poor African states.

However analysts argued that Mr Obama has a mammoth task ahead, with first, having to retore America's dignity and mend ties with other world powers.

They also said, although former president Bush had a soft heart for poor people especially in Africa, current US economic meltdown is one challenge Mr Obama has to address and overcome for continuation of development polices in developing countries.

US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said Kenyan media coverage over the past few weeks on American election made her think at one point that it was a Kenyan election.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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