Sarah Obama, Barack Obama's Kenyan, paternal grandmother, will soon arrive in Washington DC for her grandson's inauguration on January 20.
The AFP reports that Sarah will bring some unusual gifts for the new president:
NAIROBI (AFP) -- A three-legged stool and a traditional Luo oxtail fly whisk are some of the household items that could bring a new feel to the Oval Office, courtesy of Barack Obama's Kenyan grandmother.
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Quoted in the Standard newspaper Monday, she said she had hoped to bring him a traditional spear and shield from her Luo tribe when she flies to Washington on Friday with some other family members.
The AP reports that Sarah will attend an unofficial inauguration ball with representatives from the Kenyan government. The article also mentions that President-elect Obama is not well-acquainted with his grandmother, who is actually the stepmother of his Kenyan father.
In "Dreams from My Father," Obama described meeting Sarah Obama during his 1988 trip to his father's homeland, earning a handshake as a greeting and awkwardness as they struggled to communicate."Our mutual vocabulary exhausted, we stared ruefully down at the dirt until (half-sister) Auma finally returned," Obama writes in "Dreams from My Father."
"And Granny then turned to Auma and said, in a tone I could understand, that it pained her not to be able to speak to the son of her son."
Sarah Obama made headlines during the presidential campaign when she denounced the sillier rumors about Barack, including the rumor that he is a muslim.