海角大神

President Barack Obama鈥檚 2008 election brought hope to this rural village 鈥� a hope that听foreign听tourists would flock to his step-grandmother鈥檚 humble home, browse a local museum, and bed down at听the local hotel, which was built to capitalize on the expected boom听of being the ancestral home of America鈥檚 first black president.

This informal tour, known as the "Obama circuit" is little more than a half-mile stroll on a dirt road within the village where President Obama's father was raised. There is the home of Mama Sarah,听as President Obama鈥檚 step-grandmother is affectionately known, where turkeys and chickens strut and squawk, and the Barack H. Obama Recreation Center, a reception hall and restaurant run by the president鈥檚 half-brother, Malik. You can also peek in at the Senator Obama Kogelo Secondary School, which took on Obama鈥檚 name after his 2007 visit, which is commemorated with newspaper clippings on the walls of the classrooms.

And if you are willing to stay the night, there is the Kogelo Village Resort. The main building is dubbed 鈥淭he White House鈥� and there鈥檚 a life-size statue of听Obama and Mama Sarah under construction at the entrance. You can even sleep in the 鈥淪asha and Malia鈥� private cottage (or one named after one of the other family members).

Aspirations of the Obama lore drawing tourists to Kogelo, and then to the national parks and cultural icons around it,听 haven鈥檛 materialized听in the almost seven years since he came into office. On the听Monday听before western Kenya鈥檚 most famous son returns to the country, there was no one staying at the hotel. The satellite county tourism office set up on the road between the Obama homestead and the hotel was closed. No one sold Obama paraphernalia in the market.

The only tourists spotted over a few hours were two young听Swedes听who rode out of town on a motorbike after their sit-down with Mama Sarah on her front porch. Her jokes are good 鈥� 鈥淐ome back to Kogelo and marry a villager so we can have more Luos like Obama,鈥� she told this reporter 鈥� but she alone can鈥檛 keep the crowds听coming.

But banking on Obama鈥檚 name requires the occasional appearance by the president to attract visitors. And his decision on whether to stop in during his visit to Kenya this weekend 鈥� where hopes are still high that he will come despite announcing otherwise 鈥� could affect these businesses鈥� fortunes for years.

鈥淚t has been quiet because of this information that he鈥檚 no longer coming to Kogelo,鈥� says Nicholas Rajula, the owner of the Kogelo Village Resort and, he says, a distant cousin of the president.

Banking on a president

Mr. Rajula acknowledged that business generally pretty quiet now, but that wasn鈥檛 always true. In the initial euphoria after Obama was elected in 2008, tourists flocked to Kogelo. But there was nothing to keep them for more than an hour or two.

鈥淲e lost a lot of business at the time. There was not even a place to buy mineral water,鈥� he says.

The demand convinced him to build his hotel. And he has some good months, usually when government officials have a multi-day meeting in or around Kogelo. But the Obama tourists rarely stay overnight.

鈥淢ost international tourists come for that family,鈥� Joseph Ogutu, Siaya County鈥檚 chief tourism officer, says. 鈥淪o many go direct to Mama Sarah. Many of them leave that same day. That鈥檚 what we want to change.鈥�

This weekend, though,听while Obama is 250 miles away chairing the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi,听there are big things planned. The Siaya County Government has planned a multi-day extravaganza that will happen whether or not Obama shows up. It took out a full-page newspaper advertisement earlier this week to spread the word about a three-day rugby tournament called the Obama Sevens, investment and cultural expos, and a half-marathon in early August at a nearby lake. Wearily, he says the local government spent almost $100,000 on the events.

Mr. Ogutu鈥檚 hope is that Obama tourists will linger on the shores of Lake Victoria doing watersports, explore nearby nature reserves, and check out Luo artifacts at the Jaramogi Odinga Odinga Museum.

But excitement has waned in the face of news Obama won鈥檛 come to Western Kenya.听

Hosea Owour, who sells Obama paraphernalia in Kisumu, says that after weeks of rising sales, they plummeted last week at the news that Obama would skip the region.听After Obama鈥檚 2008 election win, Mr. Owuor听traveled to Kogelo and sold 50 of the 100 shirts he brought to the village. On a recent trip, he sold only 15 of the 100.

Referring to the fact that Obama won鈥檛 come, local preacher Walter Akeche, says, 鈥淭hat is the end of this place as a tourist destination, an investment destination, and as a place people can be proud to be associated with.鈥�