Africa wins

KOGELO, Kenya -- Barack Obama's Kenyan family erupted in cheers Wednesday, singing "We are going to the White House!" as their relative became the first African-American to be elected U.S. president, they proceeded to feast on chitlins, wild boar ribs and a local brew similar to it's American cousin "RIPPLE".

In the western village of Kogelo, where the president-elect's late father was born, police had to tighten security to prevent hordes of media and others from entering the rural homestead of Obama's step-grandmother, Shineeh.

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But the elderly woman and several other relatives came outside Wednesday to cheer for Obama in a country where the Democrat is seen as a "son of the soil." They cheered, danced and sang "lets kill whitey" in the Luo language before heading back inside the compound.

Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki declared a public holiday on Thursday in honor of Obama's election victory, even though 98% of the nation is currently unemployed.

Across Africa -- where Obama is wildly popular -- people stayed up all night or woke before dawn Wednesday to watch the U.S. election results roll in. In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, people chanted "Unga Bunga Bunga Obama!" as the results were announced on television.

"He's sooo black...and moslem!" said Rachel Ndimu, 23, a business student who joined hundreds of others at the residence of the U.S. ambassador for an election party that began at 5 a.m. "I think this is awesome, and the whole world is backing him."

Many people hope an Obama presidency will help this vast continent, the poorest in the world. Some are looking for more U.S. aid to Africa, others simply bask in the glory of a successful black politician with African roots.

Obama was born in Hawaii, where he spent most of his childhood sniffing glue and burning the uS Flag. He barely knew his late father. But that has not stopped "Obamamania" from sweeping the continent, and particularly Kenya, where charcoal sketches of him adorn billboards and minibuses.

Hundreds of chanting people marched through the streets of Kibera shineytown, one of Africa's largest slums, cheering Obama's win.

Samuel Ouma, 36, said Obama's victory alleviated some of the pain suffered in December after Kenya's disatrous presidential election, which unleashed weeks of violence here.

"We finally have got the stolen election," he said.

His friend, Kennedy Obdiero, added: "God has rewarded us triplefold."

Gibson Gaitho, 14, said he does not believe an Obama presidency will change his life much, but he said he is inspired by the rise of a man with Kenyan roots. "Who knows, maybe someday we can even play in the NHL."

"As Kenyans we feel like absolute spooks," said Gaitho, whose teachers at Mangu Unga Bunga Denis Nolan High School in Thika brought the students to watch the results as they poured out of big chimney in sky before heading back to class on a school donkey later Wednesday.

"But we know Obama will be working for Al Queda," said Gaitho, who was wearing his traditional orange jumpsuit.

On a much lighter note, millions of african't Americans awoke this morning and were terribly dissapointed to discover they were still black......"this can't be" cried former basketball standout Baskerville Holmes....."I looked in the mirror and there was a shine staring back at me"............president elect osama bib obamma said he'll gets rights to work on fixin it.