American set to meet her Kenyan granny, after 28 years

• Relatives keen to know daughter from America they’ve never met

The American woman who this week reunited with her Kenyan father after a 28-year separation prepared on Wednesday to meet the rest of her family.

“They expressed interest for me to meet the rest of the family and friends,” Ms Tramaine Chelang’at Hugie said.

Her father, Anderson Obare Atuya, has set a date for his daughter to visit Magwagwa Village in Nyamira District.

Ms Chelang’at will meet her grandmother and other relatives who, according to Mr Obare, are ecstatic about seeing their long lost daughter.

Mr Obare said that because of the excitement of the reunion on Tuesday, he did not get much sleep that night. “I received more than 100 calls... I was not able to sleep.”

Ms Chelang’at said she has received about 50 phone calls from around the world and numerous text messages and e-mails.

She says her mother, Ms Terri Lea Hugie, is equally overjoyed about the memorable reunion: “She is thrilled that I have found my father.”

Her story mirrors that of US president Barack Obama. Both their fathers are Kenyan — from Nyanza Province — who sired American children.

However, unlike the US president, Ms Chelang’at’s father is alive, making such a reunion possible.

On whether Mr Obama’s story inspired her, she said: “I would not say his story inspired me, only his book — Dreams from My Father — this was about me.”

She reconnected with her father after placing a classified advertisement in the Daily Nation on Friday.

Plans are also underway to make a short film about their reunion, Ms Chelang’at told the Nation.

Mr Obare was in the US for four years at the Baptist College in South Carolina on an athletics scholarship he secured while studying at Egoji Teachers College in Meru.

“I met Terri Hugie while on my normal races, and she was my greatest supporter,” Mr Obare said.

He acknowledged that he deserted his family.