Sarah Obama, the grandmother of former President of the United States of America Barack Obama, is dead.

The death of Mama Sarah Obama was confirmed by her daughter Marsat Obama, who said that she died at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.

Marsat also revealed that she passed on at 4:45am Monday after being admitted to the health facility on Sunday morning.

According to the family, Mama Sarah Obama, who died at the age of 99, will be laid to rest at her rural home in K’Ogelo village in Siaya County on Tuesday but has ruled out Covid-19 as the cause of death.

Among leaders who have sent their messages of condolence to the Obamas is ODM leader Raila Odinga, Siaya Senator James Orengo and Nairobi Deputy Governor Anne Kananu.

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Mama Sarah Obama played a key part in the life of Barack Obama, who was the 44th US president, and he always expressed his fondness of her and the critical role she played in helping him trace and understand his Kenyan roots.

Barack's father is the late Barack Hussein Obama Sr, who was a Kenyan senior government economist and is a central figure of his memoir, Dreams from My Father. Obama Sr was the son of Mama Sarah Obama. 

Obama Sr married in 1954 and had two children with his first wife, Kezia.

Barack was born to Obama Sr and Stanley Ann Dunham on August 4, 1961 before they parted ways when Obama Sr returned to Kenya and Dunham was forced to raise the little Barack alone.