Kenyan Paper Discusses World Reaction To Obama Victory

One of the first world reaction to Obama victory and election comes from Kenya: In Kenya, a holiday, song and dance for Obama.

Across the globe, the outlets also hailed Mr Obama’s election as the first American Black president some terming it as victory against race. The world reaction to Obama election and victory is very positive and jubilant - (Huliq).

The New York Times said that the Illinois Senator’s victory had felled the racial barrier as American voters’ embraced the call for change. The paper reported that millions of voters of different ethnic backgrounds had put their faith and the future of their country into the hands of a 47-year-old black man who made history both because of his race and inspite of it.

“Even during the darkest hours of his presidential campaign, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois held on to his improbable, unshakable conviction that America was ready to step across the colour line. On Tuesday, America leaped.”

The Chicago Tribune had the banner ‘Barack Obama, our next president’ following the historical election in which the Junior Senator convincingly beat Republican opponent John McCain. The paper also quoted the new US president in his maiden speech in Chicago; "At this defining moment, change has come to America.''

It also reported that Mr Obama had won the presidency becoming the “first African-American to claim the highest office in the land, an improbable candidate fulfilling a once-impossible dream”.

A nation that in living memory struggled violently over racial equality will have as its next president a 47-year-old, one-term US senator born of a Kenyan father and Kansan mother, the Chicago Tribune noted.

Sydney Morning Herald, in Australia, termed the democratic candidate’s win as ‘a new dawn’ quoting extensively from his speech.

The Mail and Guardian of South Africa also headlined its banner with 'Change has come to America' from the Chicago speech.

The paper also went a step ahead to report that Mr Obama will be sworn in as the 44th US president on January 20 2009 and will face a crush of immediate challenges, from tackling an economic crisis to ending the war in Iraq and trying to overhaul the US healthcare system.

The Guardian of the UK also borrowed from the speech headlining its article “President Obama:Change has come.” In its report, it said: “Americans tonight placed their faith in Barack Obama, who made history by becoming the first African-American to win the US presidency.”

Scenes of jubilation broke out among Democratic supporters as the US TV networks, just after 11.00 EST, declared that the Democratic candidate had won after a momentous day that saw voters turn out in huge numbers.

By OLIVER MATHENGE of Daily Nation.