Spotted in Dar es Salaam and posted on the blog "Louder than swahili" is this new kanga congratulating East Africa's favorite grandson:

Hongera Barack Obama. Upendo na amani ametujalia mungu. Says the Kiswahili writing on the kanga for sale in Dar es Salaam.

"It can be translated into: Congratulations Barack Obama. Love and peace have been given us by God.

The American president who is still in office also had Tanzanians wearing him on their kangas here, when he came to visit us in February 2008. But let's forget about that. I'm sure the saying didn't say the same.

Wearing a kanga with a saying is typical in Swahili culture, and kangas and vitenge is used all over Africa, sometimes deliberately, to express either personal statements (see here) or a political affiliation.

I'm contemplating getting one of these. Just as the Obama t-shirt got popular here up to the elections, one should think this would become an interesting souvenir?!"

(wirtten by Permille Baerendtsen, from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)