Inside Africa: Near pristine image of Barack Obama’s 1961 baby footprint has surfaced in 2011

SPECIAL EDITION

by Lucas Daniel Smith, ©2011, blogging at WasObamaBorninKenya

Editor's Note: Re-posted with permission of The Post & Email.

http://www.thepostemail.com/2011/10/19/inside-africa-near-pristine-image-of-barack-obama%e2%80%99s-1961-baby-footprint-has-surfaced-in-2011/

(Oct. 19, 2011) — Inside Africa: Near pristine image of Barack Obama’s 1961 baby footprint has surfaced in 2011.

Thirty-two months have passed since I exited Africa with a certified (2009) copy of Barack Obama’s 1961 Coast Province General Hospital (CPGH), Mombasa, British Protectorate of Kenya, Certificate of Birth. Said certificate of birth contains an image of a baby footprint. Said footprint is located in the lower left corner of the certificate. A close-up of the footprint is pictured below:

Observers have questioned the significance of the image found on the 1961 Kenyan hospital certificate of birth. Is the image merely a generic adornment, ornamentation or ‘trimming’ found on all of that particular hospital’s certificates of birth for that era? Or is the footprint that of the child bearing the name Barack Hussein Obama II?

We asked ourselves, ‘Was Kenya using inked prints on other forms of identification in and prior to the year 1961?‘

Answer: YES. (Left Thumb Impression / Right Thumb Impression)

Kenya Pass Book FEB 1 1958 (date format and fingerprints)

We then asked ourselves, ‘Are there other hospital birth certificates which contain only one footprint, as opposed to both feet, issued in or prior to the year 1961?‘

Answer: YES.

Patricia Anne Gillespie / 1950 hospital birth certificate with one footprint / embossed seal

For sometime now I’ve been in fervent pursuit of corroborating certificates of birth issued by the Coast Province General Hospital (CPGH), Mombasa in or around the year 1961. At worst I hoped to ascertain and establish that the footprint is a generic image contained on other same era certificates issued by the said hospital. At best I hoped to demonstrate that the footprint is unique and differs slightly in form from other footprints contained on other same era certificates issued by the said hospital. In either case, I could substantiate and provide evidence to support the fact that the said footprint-birth-certificate is not atypical of other same era certificates issued by the said hospital.

For some months now I have been working a slow and slothful, yet promising, scheme to gain access to colonial/protectorate records issued by the Coast Province General Hospital. A few days ago I received notification from long-time personal contacts (friends) now inside Kenya to the effect that they’d gained access to select birth records at the Coast Province General Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya via one of the hospital’s employees.

What I have seen so far has come via webcam chat sessions. I’ve seen what appears to be partial views of a CPGH certificate of birth which is nearly identical to the document that I obtained at the CPGH in 2009. James O.W. Ang’awa is listed as the attending doctor and the birth place of the father is listed as Kanyadhiang Village, Nyanza. The footprint appears identical in shape and size to the footprint on the document that I obtained in 2009. However, unalike the very dark and muddy footprint image contained on the 2009 certified copy, the footprint that I have seen over the webcam is lighter, more pronounced and the lines and wrinkles of the skin are all discernible. Moreover, the paper certificate appears to be light brown, tawny or perhaps beige in color.

I’ve also now been shown partial views of another CPGH certificate of birth which contains the name of a different doctor and a different birth place of father and a different-looking footprint.

I will report again soon.