Mama Sarah Obama, the grandmother to Barack Obama, the former President of the United States has died aged 99.
She died at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, Kenya where she had been undergoing treatment.
Mama Sarah, who was a Muslim, will be buried according to Muslim religious customs at her home in Kogelo March 30, Sheikh Musa Ismail Haji, Chairman of the Kisumu Muslim Association said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta sent a message of condolence to the family, describing the Obama family matriarch as an icon of family values and a philanthropist whose contribution to the progress of the Kenyan nation shall be missed dearly.
READ MORE: Auma Obama, Barack Obama’s sister who studied in Germany, gets nominated as ‘Let’s Dance’ candidate
As Mama Sarah Obama dies, she will be remembered by many for her philanthropic work especially in her Nyang’oma Kogelo home in Siaya County where she initiated several community development projects.
“She was a loving and celebrated philanthropist who graciously shared the little she had with the less fortunate in her community,” the President said while wishing the Obama family God’s grace as they mourn their departed matriarch.
“In the passing of Mama Sarah Obama, we have lost a matriarch who lived ahead of her time. She single-handedly kept the family going long after the husband departed. In between, she became a symbol of the Resilience and Confidence of the African woman with a unique capacity to face the challenges of life.
She utilised her grandson President Barack Obama’s rise to promote the education of girls and fight social ills through her Foundation. Mama Ida and I pass our sincere condolences to the Obama family,” said Kenya’s Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Source: Official state house Kenya