Traditional elders of Kogelo village say the feast of 20th January - the inauguration day – would be used to showcase the Luo culture and market the region as a tourist attraction. AfricaNews’ correspondent said a 14-member committee has been instituted to plan the events leading to the inauguration including traditional dances, wrestling and a display of Luo material culture and speeches from guest politicians and community elders.

A giant screen is to be mounted at the local Barack Obama Primary School grounds, where the local activities will be taking place to allow people to monitor the swearing-in proceedings live from the US.

Four bulls, 10 goats and 30 chickens will be slaughtered to feed guests to crown the day. Highly expected on the menu is the local chang'aa brew, a highly potent traditional form of spirit popular in western Kenya and a favorite of the poor, our reporter stated.

Kogelo village has dispatched a delegation of eight led by Obama's grandmother Sarah Obama and step-brother Malik Abong'o to the swearing-in ceremony. Our reporter said they have all been issued with official invitation from Washington.

Controversy

However, the excitement is not without controversies. Kenyans are fuming at their government for spending tax payers’ money to send a delegation of seven legislators to the event even though the U.S government has not invited them.

The delegation will have to watch the events from TV as U.S ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger has put it clear the ceremony was purely a U.S affair where no foreign guests had been invited.

“This is a purely American affair and all countries with missions in Washington will be represented by their respective ambassador and spouse and as such there will be no invitations for other government representative," he said last week.

The Kenyan delegation led by Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula will include Medical Services and Tourism Ministers Anyang Nyong'o and Najib Balala respectively. They are scheduled to attend an evening party organized by African missions in Washington.

"Why would the government waste money to fund MPs to attend a function they will only watch on TV while they could watch the same from right here in Kenya" asked Jamleck Kamau an MP from central Kenya. "This should not happen at a time when Kenya is seeking funds to feed its starving millions resultant from current food shortage".

But tourism ministry officials have defended their minister's presence in the U.S saying that the Kenya Tourist Board had organized two road shows in Washington ahead of the event to market Kenya as a prime destination hence his presence.

The officials said the country was seizing the opportunity to help bring to its feet the tourism industry that was in 2008 devastated by after-polls violence.

All major TV stations in Kenya will be broadcasting the event live. The leading media, Nation media group, will mount a big screen in Kisumu city's Kenyatta grounds to allow members of the public in this pro-Obama town to watch.

Other local TV stations have already sent their reporters to Washington for special coverage of the day and Citizen TV whose crew is already in the city has been bringing daily updates in countdown to the big day.