Zeituni Onyango

Zeituni Onyango (May 29, 1952 – April 7, 2014) was born in Kenya into the Luo tribe during the period of British colonial rule. She was the daughter of Onyango Obama and Sarah Onyango Obama, and a half-sister to Barack Obama Sr., the father of United States President Barack Obama. Onyango was a much younger half-sister of Barack Obama Sr., who was the son of Onyango Obama by his second wife.

Onyango received her education in Kenya and worked as a computer programmer at Kenya Breweries in Nairobi. In 1988, she met her nephew Barack Obama during his first trip to Kenya, at the age of 27. This meeting was her first encounter with her paternal nephew, and she provided him with insights into their family history, including details about their father’s achievements and family relationships. Barack Obama Sr. had studied at Harvard University and worked as an economist for the Kenyan government before his career was affected by political conflicts.

Onyango entered the United States in 2000 on a temporary visa to accompany her son, who had been accepted into a college in Boston. She was issued a Social Security card in 2001, indicating her legal status at that time. In 2002, she applied for political asylum in the United States citing ethnic violence in Kenya during a period of increased ethnic tension and conflict, particularly between the Luo and Kikuyu tribes. Her request was denied in 2004, but she remained in the United States, residing in South Boston, Massachusetts, in public housing and working as a volunteer computer systems coordinator for the Experience Corps, an organization mentoring children.

Her immigration case gained considerable attention after it was leaked in the final days of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, during which her half-nephew, Barack Obama, was the Democratic candidate for president. The leak attracted international media coverage and reignited discussions on immigration policies in the United States. Onyango’s case highlighted issues related to illegal immigration, public housing eligibility, and the enforcement of immigration laws, especially given her status as someone who had overstayed her visa and sought asylum.

In 2010, Onyango was granted political asylum, after which she stated she had previously lived in a homeless shelter in Boston for two years while waiting for her housing arrangements. She reported receiving disability benefits of up to $700 per month. Throughout her time in the United States, she did not express remorse for overstaying her visa, stating her situation was a product of systemic issues rather than personal choice.

Onyango’s background was also intertwined with Kenya’s political history. The Luo tribe, to which she belonged, has historically faced marginalization within Kenya. Political instability, ethnic tensions, and conflicts during and after Kenya’s independence, particularly between the Luo and Kikuyu tribes, contributed to her and her family’s circumstances. Kenya experienced significant political unrest during the 2000s, including the electoral crisis of 2007–2008, which led to widespread violence and displacement.

Throughout her life, Onyango maintained connections with her family in Kenya, and her relationship with Barack Obama was documented in his 1995 memoir, “Dreams from My Father,” where he referred to her as “Aunti Zeituni.” She passed away in 2014 at the age of 61.