Kenyan Entrepreneur was ecstatic after the announcement:

I must say that I was in a state of euphoric shock last night as I was watching Barrack Obama’s elevation to becoming the most powerful man in the world. I told someone yesterday (as I was watching his acceptance speech) that I felt like I was going through both a physical and spiritual cleansing. It was almost like Obama was cleansing my body, mind and soul of the 8 years of toxic filth and grime that the Bush presidency had imparted on my person. It was very refreshing– like walking out of a shower full of antiseptic.

Kikuyumoja, who is Kenyan, gives his view from Germany:

Obama is much more than a candidate for the 44th presidency in the United States of America.

Wheremadnessresides ponders about Obama's acceptance speech and his roots:

I watch him sometimes, and it seems to me nigh impossible that this could be the same man who drove around Nairobi in Auma’s mechanically challenged baby-blue Volkswagen Beetle and visited his Aunt who lived in Kariokor. Because these are such typical Nairobi things to do. And he describes them so casually, so matter of factly. Then, the next thing you know, he’s President-elect of the United States of America. And it sort of takes your breathe away. As well it should.

It sends a very particular resounding message from the American people, reverberating not just through the United States of America, but right across the world: If you determine it, you can be whoever you want to be. At such a time as this, you’ve got to pay homage to the American Dream, because the American Dream is ultimately the winner of this election, perched squarely on the shoulders of an unlikely candidate with an unfamiliar name and an unusual story.

In a country drunk with political patronage, bloggers are questioning whether Kenya and or Africa should expect American policy towards the continent to change overnight.

Kenyan Pundit answers the critics:

And for those (Kenyans) who are being derisive about Kenyans trying to “own” Obama. Bah! Yes, it’s unrealistic to think that his election will change U.S. policy practically as far as Kenya goes, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Kenyans going overboard with Obama-mania and what he represents for us.

Now if only we can translate our aspirations for him to our aspirations for Kenyan leaders! Would Barack Obama have made it as a Kenyan politican (or even African) - almost certainly not…we excel in trashing intellectual, ethical, different, individuals who want to participate in public service. In Obama’s own words, “…For as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on earth is my story even possible.” Lets work to change this people.

Peter Njenga urges people to tone down their expectations on Obama:

People should therefore tone down these expectations and realize that Barack Obama will work with a team that includes White House advisors and the United States Senate and Congressmen. In fact, Barack Obama himself said that there is a great challenge ahead, and some goals may not be realised even within a four year term.

ColdTusker thinks that Obama is more American than Kenyan:

So Barack was NEVER a “Kenyan” in any sense of the word. He was not born in Kenya, not raised in Kenya, not a Kenyan resident nor a Kenyan citizen.

Congrats to Obama for the victory BUT why has kibz declared a holiday to celebrate Obama's win?
What of the loss of productivity for the typical mwananchi without a cushy government job?
kibz & roocy get paid whether they work or not. Not most Kenyans.

Election day in the USA was a working day for most Americans. There are no official holidays for any of the post-election days. So if the USA marks the historic occasion with a ‘working day' why do Kenyans have a ‘holiday'?

Arefe notes that Ethiopia was not exactly ecstatic about Obama victory given that he might demand more accountability and transparency. The blogger writes:

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi offered his apparently not-so-warm congratulations to Obama saying that he is “confident that the long-standing and excellent relations that exist between the two countries and peoples will continue to be strengthened during his tenure in office.”
From this anticipated cliché apart, officials and the state media have kept quite about the possible impact of new presidency on the Ethiopian political landscape.
But well-placed sources say the government is anxious that the new Democratic administration that is taking office on January might put more pressure and demand accountability from the Ethiopian government, whose commitment to democracy is nothing more than lip service.

But Kenya has its own problems with the post election violence and lethargy by leaders to compromise their political hardlines for the sake of peace. That is why Kenyans are not bothered about Obama but are consumed with their own survival. This is the situation in the streets and well reflected in the blogosphere.

Bloggers based in the US are keen to give updates on the Obama campaign but local bloggers do not have such frequent posts.

Whispering Inn, a blogger based in the US, reports of powerful Obama speeches and his own experience in Dallas.

An energetic Obama ran onto the stage bringing the entire arena to its feet waving placards and chanting “Obama!” and “Yes We Can!” It's easy to see why Obama's following has been labeled cult-like. Obama's speech — punctuated by wild cheering every few sentences — brought the crowd to a wide-ranging array of emotions. The ecstatic crowd cried, shouted, and cheered itself hoarse as Obama hit on the high points of his message. When it was all done, I felt spent. I had been on such an inexplicable high — yapping to the people around us, high-fiving everyone, and just letting myself go.

Kenyan entrepreneur updates us about Obama's coverage in Vanity Fair Magazine but the most shocking part is that Kenyans are seeing Obama as a Luo, and not a Kenyan per se. They therefore feel that others are not celebrating Obama's candidacy because he is luo. A comment on the post notes:

Be prepared for a Luo Kenyan Prime Minister and a Luo American president. You are just about to witness how countries should be run professionally.

I’ve heard guys criticising Luos for celebrating Obama yet there are stories of Hawaiians, Irish (ancestral home of his mum), Japanese (there is a town there called Obama), Kansas (him mum’s home town) and many other examples also celebrating ‘their son’. ….Obama is loved by people of all races/gender/etc. They don’t see him as Luo but as ‘Ours’.

For the love of money, yet another blogger based in the US, has invited Kenyans to invest in Obama and Clinton shares.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton supporters have the opportunity to not only put their money where their mouth is but to profit from their candidate at Intrade. If you believe in free markets, Barack Obama contracts have soared compared to Hillary and are indication that he is likely to carry the Democratic party nomination.
Barack Obama's contracts are trading at new highs while Hillary Clinton's are plummeting to lower lows. Obama's contracts have risen from single digits in the last one and a half years. Until the end of last year, Hillary's contracts mirrored her confidence that she will be the automatic nominee.

what an african woman thinks feels that Obama has made a very good representation of Kenya in his two books.

He got me with “Dreams From My Father.” It was hard to believe the parts about Kenya were written by someone who’d not been brought up in Kenya. So authentic. Neither raw nor overdone. Just right. I loved him then. And then, “Audacity of Hope” sealed the deal. I like. Last June, I remember being in a car in Johannesburg, driving from point A to point B. There were four of us, from four different countries, two Africans two non-Africans. From a discussion on the global economic climate, we segued into a discussion about who could would might be the next US President. Hillary Clinton got a fair amount of airtime.