Obama's brother looks forward to his UK visit

London, July 26 : Should Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States in January 2009, he can look forward that having some members of his family from Britain visiting him at the White House.

One of them could be 37-year-old Bernard Obama, his stepbrother, who lives in a Bracknell council house.

"I'm very proud of my big brother. It's quite a funny feeling that he might be the next President of the USA," The Sun quoted Bernard, as saying.

An avid Manchester United fan and Sun reader, Bernard stays with his bingo-loving mum Kezia, 67, who has lived in the Berkshire new town for six years.

Barack, 46, is due to arrive in Britain on Sunday. Bernard leads a quiet life, running a car parts firm in Nairobi, Kenya.

But he is a regular visitor to the UK to visit Elvis fan Kezia.

She married Barack Obama Senior in Kenya in 1957 when she was a teenager. He later left for the U.S. and went on to meet Ann Dunham, who gave birth to his now widely acclaimed son.

Obama Senior, a Kenyan goatherd who became a leading economist in his east African homeland's government, was killed in a car crash in 1982.

Barack Junior was 21 and Bernard 12. He said: "Our father passed away when I was young and I didn't get the chance to get to know him very well.

"When you lose your dad at such a young age, that's when you really miss him."

Bernard smiled when he spoke of his famous half-brother. He said: I was around 17 when I first met Barack.

He was visiting Kenya and it was obvious from the way he spoke and his charisma that he was going to be a success.

He is charming, very good company and very charismatic.

I've met him since with his wife Michelle in Kenya. She's very nice, a very strong and intelligent person. I don't think we will see him on this visit to Britain. It's official business and he'll be very busy.

Bernard is remaining with Kezia for the next month as she recuperates from illness.

ANI