In Kenya, Trump Gives 'Parliament Of The Common Man' Hope

In a small corner of Nairobi, where men gather to talk politics, President Trump is adored. They view him with hope that populism and the will of the people can be respected in a democracy.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

I love when our international correspondents just take us to places. And we're going to travel now to a small corner of Kenya where men gather to discuss politics. NPR's Eyder Peralta went there to get their take on American politics.

EYDER PERALTA, BYLINE: Every day in downtown Nairobi, you'll find a group of men huddled in a street corner, studying the newspaper and discussing politics. Because I'll never be able to pronounce it, I'll let Duncan Odira tell you what it's known as.

DUNCAN ODIRA: Bunge la Mwananchi.

PERALTA: OK, what does that translate to?

ODIRA: The Bunge la Mwananchi, it mean Parliament of the Common Man.

PERALTA: I came to the Parliament of the Common Man to talk about President Trump. What I found was a bunch of guys who loved him. Here's Robert Okiberenge.

ROBERT OKIBERENGE: I think his dictator tendencies are for the benefit of his country, yes - because if he says that he will build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. because Mexicans are rapists, drug addicts and so on, that is for the benefit of his country.

PERALTA: And Ken Imumo.

KEN IMUMO: I think it's a challenge also to Africa and the rest of the world to - to carry on their cross, you know. We must solve our problems first as Kenyans and Africans.

PERALTA: And Dennis Mitieka.

DENNIS MITIEKA: I know that Trump doesn't condone nonsense.

PERALTA: There were about 20 guys there. So I ask...

Everybody's a Trump fan here?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Yeah, we want...

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: Of course, yes.

OKIBERENGE: Trump gives us hope.

PERALTA: That's Robert Okiberenge again. He says that President Trump proved that the system could respect the choice of the common folk. In an election year, he hopes Trump gives Kenyans the inspiration to vote for an outsider and the current regime of Uhuru Kenyatta the fear not to mess with the vote.

OKIBERENGE: You know, Obama was diplomatic. When people rigged the election in Kenya, Obama told them to sit somewhere and share power. We don't want that.

PERALTA: What he wants and expects is that President Trump, unmoved by alliances to a political class, stands up for the will of the Kenyan people. Eyder Peralta, NPR News, Nairobi.

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