+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Barack Obama's grandmother Mama Sarah Onyango Obama has died at the age of 99

Mar 29, 2021, 17:47 IST
Business Insider
Getty
  • Barack Obama's grandmother has died, according to reports.
  • Sarah Onyango Obama, a philanthropist, was 99 years old.
  • Mama Sarah shot to national fame in Kenya upon Barack Obama's election as president in 2008.
Advertisement

Former President Barack Obama's step-grandmother Sarah Onyango Obama has reportedly passed away at a hospital in Kenya at the age of 99.

Known as Mama Sarah, she passed away early on Monday at a hospital in the city of Kisumu in western Kenya, her daughter Marsat Onyango told the Daily Nation newspaper.

A family spokesperson told the BBC that she had been unwell for a week but did not die from COVID-19.

Mama Sarah shot to national fame in Kenya upon Barack Obama's election as president in 2008. Tourists would visit Kogelo, the village where she lived, and often knocked on her door.

She used her fame to promote education and philanthropy, setting up the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation to provide food and education to orphans, France24 reported.

Advertisement

She was the third wife of Barack Obama's grandfather.

In a statement on Twitter, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said: "The passing away of Mama Sarah is a big blow to our nation. We've lost a strong, virtuous woman. A matriarch who held together the Obama family and was an icon of family values."

A spokesman for the family said she would be buried on Tuesday, the Daily Nation reported.

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article