Africans gear up to celebrate an Obama victory

[ensho]

http://my.att.net/s/editorial.dll?fromspage=all/home.htm&categoryid=&bfromind=7401&eeid=6189784&_sitecat=1505&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=-2&ck=&ch=ne&rg=blsadstrgt


Africans organized all-night parties to watch the U.S. election results roll in, determined to celebrate a moment in history as Barack Obama tries to become the first black American president.

"Tonight we are not going to sleep," said Valentine Wambi, 23, a student at the University of Nairobi. "It will be celebrations throughout."

She planned to join hundreds of other students in the Kenyan capital for an election party late Tuesday.

In the western Kenya village of Kogelo, where the Democratic candidate's late father was born, police tightened security Tuesday to prevent hordes of media and others from entering the rural homestead of Obama's step-grandmother.

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In Nairobi's Kibera shantytown, one of the largest slums in Africa, residents were hoisting cups of "Senator" beer in his honor. A huge conference center in the capital was to broadcast the results live for members of the public.

In Uganda, hundreds of university students booked a hall on campus in the capital, Kampala, to watch the results.

"We will feast if Obama wins," said Makerere University student Robert Rutaro. "We will celebrate by marching on the streets of Kampala and hold a big party later on."
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can you feel it? the whole world is expectant. (the climate change clock keeps on ticking)

[lurky]

1. I was in South Africa a couple weeks ago.

Obama is a rock star over there. People were so excited about him, it's hard to even describe.