Kenyans have a stake in U.S. race

NAIROBI, KENYA — A popular morning-radio personality summed up how many Kenyans are viewing the U.S. presidential race.

"There's no way," said disc jockey Maina Kageni, "the U.S. is going to elect" a black man.

Despite Sen. Barack Obama's strong lead in the polls and his huge popularity here in his father's homeland, some Kenyans can't shake a sense of doubt about whether Americans are ready to put a black man in the White House.

The quiet pessimism is rooted in Kenyans' perceptions about racism in the United States and sharpened by the nation's own flawed presidential election 10 months ago, which saw hatred among tribes come to the fore.

"I know the polls show him ahead, but I think there's still an undercurrent that will make race an issue, particularly among the older generation and conservatives," said Nairobi fitness trainer Danson Onegi, 26. "Do you really think he can win?"

Kenyan newspapers and television stations have fueled the doubts, focusing coverage on alleged assassination threats against Obama and recent taunts shouted from the crowd at rallies for Republican nominee Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The front-page headline of one of Kenya's leading daily newspapers last week blared, "Shooting and threats as Obama widens gap." The article said "racist abuse" was on the rise as Obama moved ahead in the polls, referring to the "kill him" cry heard at a recent Palin rally and the apparently racially motivated shooting in Britain of a black man who was wearing an Obama T-shirt.

However, Onegi and others said they were hoping the Nov. 4 election would prove their doubts wrong.

Excitement about the U.S. campaign is building throughout this East African nation. A brewery recently reintroduced "Senator" beer, nicknamed "Obama," which first was produced after his 2004 election.

And at the Kenya National Theater, rehearsals are wrapping up for "Obama -- The Musical," an original work set to open next month.

"I want to unite the country behind Obama's story," said playwright and director George Orido. The eclectic, high-energy production includes show-stoppers such as "Obama is not Osama" and "Ode to the Son," in which a young Obama searches for his racial identity in a drug den before finding salvation in God.