Fundraising bid to discredit Obama

More mud is being flung to discredit US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, even as robbers raided his grandmother’s home in Siaya.

Prominent US conservative Dinesh D’Souza is attempting to embarrass Mr Obama by soliciting donations to a “Compassion Fund” for the senator’s half-brother who lives in Nairobi’s Huruma estate.

The writer, a supporter of Republican candidate John McCain, told the Nation on Tuesday that the fund-raising was meant part to highlight Sen Obama’s “hypocrisy.”

“The Democratic candidate has been “harping on the theme of helping the underprivileged while doing nothing to help his half-brother,” Mr D’Souza said.

George Onyango Obama, a 26-year-old son of Barack Obama Snr, attends college in Nairobi, and has been at the centre of Western media.

On Wednesday, Sen Obama’s relatives in Kenya rubbished the fund, saying it was motivated by malice.

Mzee Abong’o Obama a paternal uncle to the said the fund was not set up “good faith”. Ms Auma Obama, a sister to the senator said those behind the fund had been ill informed by negative publicity in the Western media.

Ms Auma said that the family was never approached with any offer for help and dismissed any such need.

“We wonder where D’souza got the information about family misery. He should have come down to Huruma to see whether George is suffering,” said Ms Auma, adding that D’souza was only after tarnishing the image of the senator.

But D’esouza said money collected for the “George Obama Compassion Fund” will be forwarded to Sen Obama’s presidential campaign on the condition it be used to help the senator’s half-brother.

He wrote in his blog on Tuesday that he had seeded the fund with $1000 of his own. He urged his readers to send contributions to a post office box in California, saying “even a few thousand dollars would completely transform this man’s life.”

“Let’s foster Obama family values, and give a break to a guy who really needs it,” Mr D’Souza added in his appeal for donations. Because the effort has just begun, Mr D’Souza said, he did not know how much might be raised.

He has never spoken with George Obama, Mr D’Souza said, and does not know whether the senator’s half-brother wants help from American conservatives using him to help elect Sen McCain.

Mr D’Souza said he was unaware whether George Obama even wished to move out of Huruma.

George Obama has previously told reporters that he was content with his situation. He also defended his half-brother from charges of being neglectful of his Kenyan relations.

Mr D’Souza said he had not contributed to organisations that strive to improve housing conditions for thousands of Kenyan slum-dwellers because his “philanthropic activities were focused on India,” where he was born.

But in Siaya, the Obama family is demanding police protection after a robbery attempt. The senator’s grandmother, Mama Sarah Obama, said robbers broke the kitchen door and attempted to remove a solar panel from the roof of the main house.

“I only realised something had gone wrong when I went to make breakfast. I did not hear anything as it was raining”.