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The relationship between the former US president, Barack Obama and his half-brother Malik Obama has not been affable as far as we can recall. Malik, Barack’s elder brother left him stranded back in the days when he flew from Chicago to Washington.
In his book, ‘Dreams from my father’, Barack vividly describes the events of the fateful night when his brother turned his back on him.
Barack captures how Roy (Malik, at the time, was identified as Roy before he converted to Islam and adopted his current name) was delighted to have him around only to later disappointed him citing a slight argument between him and his wife.
“As I searched the emptying gate at National, Roy was nowhere to be found. I called his house and he answered, sounding apologetic. ‘Listen, brother-you think maybe you can stay in a hotel tonight?’ “Why? Is something wrong?” ‘Nothing serious. It’s just, well, me and the wife, we had a little argument. So having you here tonight might not be so good, you understand?’
“Sure. ‘You call me when you find a hotel, okay? We’ll meet tonight and have dinner. I’ll pick you up at eight.’ I checked into the cheapest room I could find and waited” writes Obama.
In his latest visit to Kogelo, Siaya County, a similar turn of events occurred. A woman identified as Sheila and believed to be Malik’s wife, was blocked by police from accessing the launch of Sauti Kuu Vocational Training Centre.
"I don't want to talk to the media. Please do not write this or broadcast it anywhere. It is so embarrassing. I only wanted to see and greet my brother-in-law," she told The Standard.
However, Malik has come out to publicly deny that his wife was blocked from accessing the venue.
“FAKE NEWS folks! NOT MY WIFE! And very disrespectful to the governor. They think they are God’’ Malik tweeted.
Malik has publicly held different opinion with his brother. In 2016, he reportedly accused Barack of neglecting his family in Kenya and caring little about Africa.
“President Obama is my brother and I love him, but he is a hypocrite. He wants nothing to do with Africa despite campaigning on a platform of helping to transform the continent,” he said at the time.
