By Noor Ali
ISIOLO, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenyan elders demanded an apologyfrom Washington on Thursday ahead of a planned protest over acontroversial photo of U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obamain traditional Somali dress.
The picture, which appeared on a U.S. Web site, showed theDemocratic frontrunner donning a white headdress and robesduring a visit in 2006 to the remote north-eastern town ofWajir.
The photo took centre stage in an increasingly acrimoniousrace for the White House, with Obama aides accusing his partyrival Hillary Clinton's camp of "the most shameful, offensivefear-mongering" after it was published.
Obama, whose late father was from western Kenya, has foughta whispering campaign by fringe elements who wrongly say thathe is Muslim and have even compared his surname to that of alQaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Clinton's campaign denied it officially approved thepicture's release.
The dispute has angered many in Kenya, especially ethnicSomalis from the northeast, who resent the implication thatObama did anything wrong during his visit.
Wajir residents plan to demonstrate after Friday prayers toshow their support for the Illinois senator.
Mohamed Ibrahim, who attended one of two crisis meetingsheld in Wajir on Thursday by clan members who hosted Obama onhis trip, said Washington must immediately make amends to themand especially to the elder pictured with him.
"The U.S. government must apologise to us as a clan and theold man," Ibrahim told Reuters by telephone. "We have beenoffended and we cannot afford to just watch and stay silent."
He said it was essential Clinton "clear her name" too.
The old man in question was retired chief Sheikh MohamedHassan, a senior elder who deserved great respect, localresidents said.
"He was the right person to perform any such activity likedressing a visitor like Obama with traditional Somali clothes,"said another Wajir community leader, Mukhtar Sheikh Nur.
"We give special treatment and respect to any visitor."
If there was no apology, the elders said, they would demandthe expulsion of U.S. troops based near Garissa town.
Many Kenyans support Obama in the way the Irish idolisedU.S. President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s -- as one of theirown who succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
Following Obama's streak of 11 straight wins in the battleto become the Democratic nominee, Clinton needs to win nextweek in Ohio and Texas to keep her campaign alive.
Once the odds-on favourite to win the party's nomination torun against a Republican candidate in the general election, shehas lost big leads in public opinion polls in the two states asObama has gained momentum and made inroads among hersupporters.
(Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Giles Elgood and TimPearce)
