Half-Brother of Obama Loses in Kenya Elections

Malik Obama was running for governor
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 7, 2013 2:45 PM CST
Half-Brother of Obama Loses in Kenya Elections
A file photo of Abong'o Malik Obama, half-brother of President Obama.   (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

The world will have to settle for only one political Obama, at least for the time being. The president's half-brother, Malik Obama, has lost his bid for a governorship in Kenya, reports Politicker. Results aren't final, but Obama apparently lost by a wide margin as an independent candidate, finishing well back of candidates from established parties. He and the president have the same father but different mothers, and Malik served as the president's best man at his wedding. "If my brother is doing great things for people in the United States, why can't I do great things for Kenyans here?" he had asked during the campaign.

Meanwhile, the count continues to determine the next Kenyan president amid software glitches and allegations of fraud, reports the BBC and Reuters. For now, Uhuru Kenyatta leads Prime Minister Raila Odinga by 3.1 million to 2.6 million votes. Odinga's camp has called for the counting to be halted, to no avail, and fears are growing that a disputed outcome could lead to the same violence that followed the 2007 election. In fact, Kenyatta and running mate William Ruto face charges of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court for allegedly orchestrating much of that violence. (More Abong’o Malik Obama stories.)

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