Mama Sarah, as the step-grandmother of the former U.S. president was fondly called, promoted education for girls and orphans in her rural Kogelo village.
She passed away around 4 a.m. local time while being treated at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral hospital in Kisumu, Kenya's third-largest city in the country's west, according to her daughter Marsat Onyango.
President Barack Obama had been informed of the death and has sent his condolences, according to family spokesman Sheik Musa Ismail.
Sarah Obama, was the second wife of President Obama´s grandfather and helped raise his father, Barack Obama, Sr. The family is part of Kenya's Luo ethnic group.
President Obama often showed affection toward her and referred to her as 'Granny' in his memoir, 'Dreams from My Father.'
He described meeting her during his 1988 trip to his father´s homeland and their initial awkwardness as they struggled to communicate which developed into a warm bond.
She attended his first inauguration as president in 2009.
Later, Obama spoke about his grandmother again in his September 2014 speech to the U.N. General Assembly.
Rest in power to her!
ReplyDelete