Zeituni Onyango facts for kids

Zeituni Onyango (/zeɪˈtʌni ɔːˈnjɑːŋɡoʊ/ zay-TUN-ee aw-NYAHNG-goh; 29 May 1952 – 7 April 2014) was the half-aunt of United States President Barack Obama. She was the half-sister of Obama's late father Barack Obama, Sr.. She is called "Aunti Zeituni" in Obama's memoir Dreams from My Father. She was a computer programmer.

She was a native of Kenya. In 2000, she came to the United States illegally and in 2002 sought political asylum in the United States citing violence. Kenya and East Africa saw a rise in violence in the 2000s. Her case was denied in 2004 but she remained in South Boston, Massachusetts, before she got legal representation. Her case was leaked in the final days of the 2008 U.S. presidential election in which Obama was the Democratic candidate. She was given asylum in 2010.

Onyango died from breast cancer and a respiratory ailment on 7 April 2014 in Boston. She was 61 years old.