Barack Obama and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai plant a tree in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 2006. Obama's father, who grew up herding goats in Kenya, returned to the country when his son was a child.

Thousands of proud Kenyans lined the streets to catch a glimpse of and cheer on the Illinois senator, who had not visited the country in more than a decade. During his visit, Obama met with his grandmother, who speaks no English.

Today many Kenyans closely monitor the U.S. presidential race, rooting for "one of their own" to win.

(© AP Images)