"Habari ... Erokamano ... It is good to be back."
This was former US President Barack Obama kicking off his speech during the Monday
launch of his half-sister Auma's Sauti Kuu Foundation in K'ogelo, Siaya county.
"I am grateful for the friendship and hospitality. It is such a great joy to be back with many people who are my family and those who claim to be my family," he said to laughter.
Obama went on to describe fond memories that arose from his visits as a senator.
He termed them "so special" as they connect him to his past.
"The first time I came I was 24 years old. I saw what Auma was dreaming of becoming and fell in love with her. At that time, I was very determined to understand my father's life so all day and night we had a chat in the home square," he said.
Read:
Obama said he had traveled in a train to Kisumu, boarded a boat before finally meeting Auma and squeezing into a crowded matatu to get to their K'ogelo home.
When they arrived, he said, Mama Sarah Obama was kind enough to serve him chicken for super.
He said he later stepped out before bed, looked at the stars and visited his father's grave which gave him the real sense of ownership of who he was and would become.
"And here I was satisfied beyond what any five-star hotel could offer," he said.
Obama said that when he became a world leader, visits became difficult because of presidential protocols.
"When I visited as the first sitting American President, it was hard for me to get here. I would have wished to sit with my family at the home square but it couldn't happen. Today I am here as a brother ...a citizen with connections with Africa," he said.
Details: