Obama and his family died at a Kenyan hospital at the age of 99

Obama and his family died at a Kenyan hospital at the age of 99

Obama and his family died at a Kenyan hospital at the age of 99

Nairobi : Sarah Obama, the breadwinner of a Kenyan family and former US President Barack Obama, has died, relatives and officials confirmed Monday but did not disclose the cause of her death. He was at least 99 years old.

Mother Sarah, as the grandmother of the former US president's so-called charity, was a charitable person who promoted the education of girls and orphans.

He died at around 4am while undergoing treatment at Jamogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, the third largest city in western Kenya, according to his daughter Marsat Onyango.

"She died this morning. We are very sad, ”Onyango told the Associated Press by telephone.

He will be remembered for his role in promoting orphanage education, said Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o as he conveyed his condolences to the people of Kogelo village on the loss of a parent.

"He was a philanthropist who paid for orphans' money," he said.

Sarah Obama, was the second wife of President Obama's grandfather and helped raise her father, Barack Obama, Sr. The family is part of the Luo tribe in Kenya.

Obama and his family died at a Kenyan hospital at the age of 99

Obama and his family died at a Kenyan hospital at the age of 99

President Obama used to show love for her and call her "Grandma" in his essay, "Dreams from My Father." He described meeting him during his 1988 trip to his father's homeland and their initial concern as they struggled to communicate which became a warm bond.

He attended his first inauguration in 2009.

Later, Obama also mentioned his grandmother in his September 2014 address to the UN General Assembly.

For decades, Sarah Obama helped orphans, raising others in her home. The Mama Sara Obama Foundation has helped provide food and education for children who have lost their parents - providing school supplies, uniforms, basic health needs, and school fees.

In an interview with the 2014 AP, he said that even though he was older, the books would come but he could not read them. He said he did not want his children to go to school, so he saw that all his family members were going to school.

He remembers taking the president's father six kilometers (9 kilometers) to school after his bicycle daily from his Kogelo family village to the capital city of India to ensure he gets the education he has never received.

"I love education," said Sarah Obama, "because the kids are" learning to be independent, "especially girls who often didn't have the opportunity to go to school.

"When a woman gets an education she will not only teach her family but she will also teach the whole family," she said.

Details of her funeral arrangements will be announced later, her daughter said. Sarah Obama was a Muslim and it is unclear whether she will be buried according to her religious beliefs that she should be buried within 24 hours of her death. - AP