Twins Named Obama, Romney in Kenya: Mother Honors Presidential Nominees with Birth of Twin Boys Near Obama Sr. Hometown
Millicent Owuor, a 20-year-old Kenyan woman who gave birth to twin boys earlier this week, decided to honor the 2012 U.S. presidential nominees during such a monumental event (she gave birth on election day - Tuesday, Nov. 6) by naming her newborn sons Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Owuor told the National Daily that by naming her boys Obama and Romney, she will forever "remember the historic U.S. elections for a long time, both the winner and the loser." Owuor gave birth at the Siaya District Hospital in southwest Kenya, an area very close to the village of Kogelo, where Obama's father (Barack Obama Sr.) was born. Sarah Obama, President Obama's 90-year-old step-grandmother, still lives in that area of Kenya. Maybe such a coincidence gave Obama some good luck?
Reports claim that many residents of Kogelo and the surrounding areas were crossing their fingers for an Obama victory in the U.S. - citizens hope that the president's reelection will help benefit Kenyan relations with the United States. A local Kenya media outlet called the Standard alleges that the people of the village of Kogelo were eagerly anticipating the results of the 2012 United States presidential election - when an Obama victory was announced, they supposedly "went wild" and ran throughout the streets shouting "Hail our Kogelo son." Sarah Obama was among the avid celebrators. Obama Sr. was born there in 1936.
Another fun fact - 105-year-old John Dimo, the village's popular witch doctor, foresaw an Obama triumph days before the election by tossing shells and bones and evaluating the position which they landed. "Obama is very far ahead and is definitely going to win," Dimo told the Associated Press. Believe what you will.
Owuor is not the first Kenyan woman to name her children after presidential candidates (although having twin boys and being able to name them Obama and Romney on election day is probably a first) - the New York Times reported that back in 2008, 23 boys were named Barack Obama and 20 girls Michelle Obama at the Nyanza Provincial Hospital in the nearby town of Kisumu around the time of the election.