After Obama, East Africa gives the world another powerful leader
Do you still remember the fact that Barrack Obama’s father, Obama senior was born in east Africa, Kenya to be precise?
Well, as if that is not enough, how about knowing that Rishi Sunak, who is poised to become Britain’s next prime minister, also has some links with the EAC block?
Sunak is set to become the 57th British youngest premier, following last week’s resignation of Liz Truss, who has served for barely 45 days in office.
But who is Rishi Sunak?
Truss could be replaced by Sunak, born on 12 May 1980 in Southampton to African-born Asian parents – Yashvir and Usha Sunak.
His father was born in Kenya while his mother was born in Tanganyika, presently Tanzania.
Sunak’s grandfather, Ramdas Sunak was born in Punjab province, British India and later migrated to the then British Protectorate (presently Kenya) in 1935 where he worked as a clerk.
Sanuk’s maternal grandfather, Raghubir Sain Berry MBE worked in Tanganyika as a tax official and had an arranged marriage with 16-year-old Tanganyika-born, Sraksha, with whom he had three children.
Sanuk, 42, has been the leader of the Conservative Party since 24 October 2022.
A former Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2019 to 2020 and also served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer for two years (2020 to 2022), Sanuk has been a member of the British parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) since 2015.
He schooled at Winchester College and later graduated with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Lincoln College in Oxford.
He gained his MBA from Stamford University (Califonia). While at Stamford, he met his current wife – the daughter of one of the richest families in Britain, N. R Narayana Murthy, the Indian billionaire businessman.
Sunak and Murty have a combined fortune of £730m as of 2022, making them the 222nd richest people in Britain.
When he finally takes over at Downing Street, Sunak, who just like Obama has his roots in East Africa, will lead one of the world’s most powerful countries – Britain, the fifth-biggest economy after the US, China, Japan and Germany.
