Former U.S President Obama to Relocate to Kenya in June

When former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama arrived for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2021. [File, Standard]

But it is increasingly appearing that Obama could settle in Nyeri with locals noticing a grand, highly secured, ultramodern block, cryptically labelled "Yad Sloof Lirpa" whose use the county government could not disclose, coming up behind Governor Mutahi Kahiga's official residence. The term is an old time slogan associated with alma mater, Occidental College, Columbia University.

Obama will, however, spend much of his time in Nairobi, where he is expected to shoot his much anticipated documentary "In The Land of My Father", enlisting, in part, Morgan Freeman and Sir David Attenborough for the narration.

"It has been my lifetime dream to come back to Kenya and to do what our diplomats do here. This is the start of my new, exciting life as a moviemaking expat," he said, to delirious laughter, in a dinner organised in his honour by The White House last week yesterday.

It is not clear if Obama will be accompanied by his wife Michelle, but sources close to him can confirm that his daughters Malia and Sasha will be in the country and might, for the first time ever, engage in high-level political meetings.

When former President Barack Obama met with Raila Odinga when he visted Kenya. [File, Standard]

Obama's team has said that he is interested in working with local filmmakers and has started reaching out to interested parties to send samples of their work, alongside other professional details.

The Obama mission is believed to have been his own initiative after his 2015 visit to Kenya as president.

His inner circle says that he was "truly impressed" by the potential Kenya has politically and economically and negotiated with President Biden to have this deployment.

"It would have come earlier during (Donald) Trump's administration but look, that would have been dramatic," David Axelrod, Obama's former strategist, said. "He would have been ridiculed by the 45th."

It is believed the plans to send Obama to Kenya were solidified during President William Ruto's US December visit, and the subsequent Dr Jill Biden visit to Kenya earlier this year.

Hawk-eyed papparazzi have already spotted Secret Service agents in some of the city's most expensive haunts, and two Cadillac Escalades spotted at Villa Rosa Kempinski Sunday afternoon further gave credence to early speculation of a top global leader's expected presence.

Meanwhile, Kenya may explore the possibility of Obama immediately talking to opposition leader Raila Odinga over the ongoing anti-government protests.
Top leadership believes Obama could prevail over the opposition, with an insider saying: "Obama could stop the sun with his words and could calm the ocean with his hands."

Disclaimer: This was an April Fools Day Story.

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