Abon'go Malik "Roy" Obama (born March 1958) is a Kenyan-American businessman and politician known for being the older half-brother of 44th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

, and the eldest son of economist

Barack Obama Sr. Barack Hussein Obama Sr. (; 18 June 1934 – 24 November 1982) was a Kenyan senior governmental economist and the father of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. He is a central figure of his son's memoir, '' Dreams from My Fa ...

Biography

Abon'go Malik "Roy" Obama was born and raised in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

, Kenya. His parents are economist

and his first wife, Kezia Obama (née Aoko). Obama earned a degree in accounting from the

University of Nairobi The University of Nairobi (uonbi or UoN; ) is a collegiate research university based in Nairobi. It is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution dates back to 1956, it did not become an independent univer ...

. He met his younger half-brother,

, for the first time in 1985, when Barack flew from

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, to visit Malik. The two each served as

best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be ...

at the other's wedding. Barack brought his wife Michelle Obama to Kenya three years later, seeing Malik again while meeting many other relatives for the first time. Malik Obama is Muslim. He is a naturalized citizen of the United States who was registered to vote in Maryland as of 2016. Malik Obama lives in the Obamas' ancestral home, Nyang'oma Kogelo, a village of several hundred people, preferring its slow pace to that of the city. Until 2004, he ran a small electronics shop a half-hour's drive away in another town. Since 2008, Obama has run th
Barack H. Obama Foundation
Although much of the Obama family has dispersed throughout Kenya and overseas, most, including Malik, still consider their rural village on the shores of Lake Victoria to be their true home. They feel that those who have left the village have become culturally "lost". A frequent visitor to the United States, and a consultant in Washington, D.C., for several months each year, Obama has dual citizenship in Kenya and the United States.

Political career and advocacy

During his brother's 2008 presidential campaign, Malik Obama was a spokesman for the extended Obama family in Kenya. He dealt with safety and privacy concerns arising from the increased attention from the press. Obama ran for governor of the Kenyan county of

Siaya Siaya is a town in Siaya County of Kenya. It is the capital of Siaya County. It is located northwest of Kisumu, the provincial capital. The urban center had a population of 33,153 in 2019. Siaya municipality has five wards: Mjini, Siaya Central, ...

in 2013. His campaign slogan was "Obama here, Obama there" in reference to his half-brother who was serving his second term as the President of the United States. Malik garnered 2,792 votes, about 140,000 votes behind the eventual winner. Prior to the

2016 United States presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...

, Obama stated that he supported

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

, the candidate for the Republican Party. He attended the third presidential debate as one of Trump's guests. On June 12, 2020, Malik reportedly endorsed United States president

, and later in the week posted a fake and historically inaccurate birth certificate of Obama in support of the

Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories During Barack Obama's campaign for president in 2008, throughout his presidency and afterwards, there was extensive news coverage of Obama's religious preference, birthplace, and of the individuals questioning his religious belief and cit ...

. The birth certificate alleges Obama was born in the Republic of Kenya in 1961, despite the

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not being founded until December 12, 1964. The faux Kenyan certificate also contained a seal which read

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, further affirming its lack of authenticity. His sister Auma (among others) condemned him for promoting the theory.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Malik Obama family People from Nairobi 1958 births Living people Kenyan politicians Kenyan businesspeople 21st-century businesspeople 21st-century American politicians People from Siaya County Naturalized citizens of the United States American people of Kenyan descent African-American Muslims Kenyan Muslims 21st-century Kenyan politicians University of Nairobi alumni