Barack Obama Presidency Rubs Some Kenyans The Wrong Way

Barack Obama has a monument bearing his name in Kenya. Locating a shirt carrying his image has become considerably harder than it was when his presidential campaign electrified the country.

Campaign apparel linked to Obama rarely appears in Nairobi's secondhand clothing trade. According to reporting by The Kansas City Defender, merchandise connected to athletes, entertainers and American universities attracts far more interest.

November 2008 transformed parts of Kenya into an all-night celebration. Crowds filled streets after the son of a Kenyan father became the first Black president of the United States.

President Mwai Kibaki declared a national holiday following the victory. Businesses, buses, songs and newborn children soon carried Obama's name.

Investment, trade expansion and business growth became common hopes after the victory. Stronger economic ties with Washington ranked high on the list of anticipated benefits.

Physician and pastor Benson Nyaga paints a far different picture. He told journalist Jon Jeter that Kenyans would still defend Obama if outsiders attacked him, yet added that Obama "did nothing for Africans or Kenya."

Peninah Mwaura expressed a similar view. She said badly needed investment never arrived despite the optimism that surrounded Obama's election.

Libya surfaced repeatedly during those interviews. Mwaura questioned why Washington helped remove Muammar Gaddafi while numerous African nations continued struggling with poverty and underdevelopment.

AFRICOM emerged as another point of contention. Several participants viewed a growing American military presence across the continent with suspicion rather than approval.

Obama's 2015 visit to Kenya created another dividing line. Public support for LGBTQ rights during that trip earned praise from some observers and opposition from others.

Several complaints mirrored arguments voiced by portions of Black America during and after Obama's presidency. Libya, drone strikes, Wall Street bailouts, policing disputes and military policy remain recurring subjects among some detractors.

Michael Wambui, a Nairobi social worker, connected those larger disputes to a smaller observation. He said Obama merchandise seldom appears for sale and doubted many customers would purchase it if vendors stocked it.

Chicago now has an Obama Presidential Center. Kenya now has a monument recognizing a man who once inspired holidays, street parties and extraordinary hopes.

Pride in Obama's historic election remains. Interviews featured in the report show that not everyone remembers his presidency the same way.