Truth Behind Reports That Former US President Barack Obama Is Moving To Kenya
Written by Odhiambo Shem on April 14, 2023
Reports that former US President Barack Obama will be relocating to Kenya in June 2023 are false.
The claims originated on April 1st during fool’s day after being published by the Standard newspaper and collectively received tens of thousands of likes and shares.
The paper claimed that Obama is to relocate to Kenya for at least a year as Special Envoy for US Diplomacy (SED).
“Obama is expected to jet into the country on June 13 for what his team calls “a reconnaissance trip”, has indicated his desire to set up an office outside the capital Nairobi when he finally lands,” the paper claimed.
An assessment by Sky 106.1 FM has established that the report is fake and was shared to fool people on April 1st. The newspaper also clarified by giving a disclaimer at the end of the story that it was a fool’s day story.
“Disclaimer: This was an April Fools Day Story. GOTCHA!!!,” the Standard stated.
The American Foreign Service Association also does list the position of a Special Envoy for U.S. Diplomacy.
Obama whose father hails from Kenya has not announced any plans to relocate to Kenya.
In July 2015, Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Kenya. Obama described his first visit to Kenya, the country’s capital, as an important step in understanding his heritage.
“I traveled to Alego, the village where my family was from,” he said. “I saw the graves of my father and my grandfather. And I learned things about their lives that I could have never learned through books,” he remarked.
This fact check was produced by Sky 106.1 FM
