Air Force One Obama’ – Kenyan babies named for presidential visit

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta with Obama PHOTO: capitalfm.co.ke

A batch of Kenyan newborn babies have been named in honour of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the country — with some mothers evidently hoping their offspring will be future high-flyers.

Already there are numerous young Barack Obamas living in Kogelo, the president’s ancestral village, but soon after Obama touched down on Friday night two mothers in the western city of Kisumu took the unusual decision to name their sons after the president’s jet, Air Force One.

“I have decided to call my baby AirForceOne Barack Obama so that we can all remember Obama’s visit to Kenya because it is a huge blessing,” said Lucy Akinyi Okoth, one of the mothers.

Another, Lucy Atieno, decided to simply call her boy AirForce One.

“I have been told that it is the best aeroplane because it carries a very powerful leader of America who is also a Kenyan,” she said.

The two Air Force Ones were among eight children born on Friday night at Kisumu Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital and named after Obama, said nurse Dolphin Akinyi.

“Yesterday from 8.30 pm we had eight deliveries and all the babies are in a very stable condition,” she said.

Three girls also each got an Obama-related name. One was named Michelle after the first lady, another was called Malia, after the couple’s eldest daughter, while a third was named Malia Sasha after the two Obama girls.

“I could not call my daughter any other name,” said Wilkister Anyango, who took both Obama’s daughters’ names for her child.

So far there are no reports of children being named after Obama’s armoured limousine, popularly known as “The Beast”.