Obama, A Bristish Citizen?

Legal Analysis by John Charlton

(Dec. 24, 2009) — Barack Hussein Obama has written 2 biographies about himself and has publicly spoken of his origins in many public speeches. He claims as his biological and legal father, a man who went by the name Barrack Hussein Obama. That is the more common Kenyan spelling of the name. His claimed father also went by the names “Barak” and “Barack”, the former when he penned an article in an journal on economics, in Nairobi, in the 60’s, the latter when he registered at the University of Hawaii. The latter form appears on the electronic image of Obama’s alleged Certification of Live Birth.

If we apply the provisions of British and Kenyan law to the simple facts, which Obama claims about himself — though in truth there is not documentation that the public has seen to confirm the truth of these facts — the inescapable conclusion is that Obama was born a British subject and is now, still to this day, a British citizen.

The laws and regulations which lead to this conclusion are the official British Consular Registry Stipulations, the
British Nationality Act of 1948 and of 1981, Kenya Constitution, and the Kenya Independence Act of 1963.

Let’s see how these apply to Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.

The Consequence of Obama’s alleged birth story is that he’d be born a ‘British Citizen by Descent’

The British Consular Registry uses the criteria set forth in the
British Nationality Act of 1948 Section 5(1) of the United Kingdom and Colonies to determine who would be qualified as a “British Citizen By Descent.”

Section 5-1reads thus:

5.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a person born after the commencement of this Act shall be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by descent if his father is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies at the time of the birth:

Provided that if the father of such a person is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by descent only, that person shall not be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by virtue of this section unless—

a) that person is born or his father was born in a protectorate, protected state, mandated territory or trust territory or any place in a foreign country where by treaty, capitulation, grant, usage, sufferance, or other lawful means, His Majesty then has or had jurisdiction over British subjects; or

(b) that person’s birth having occurred in a place in a foreign country other than a place such as is mentioned in the last foregoing paragraph, the birth is registered at a United Kingdom consulate within one year of its occurrence, or, with the permission of the Secretary of State, later; or

(c) that person’s father is, at the time of the birth, in Crown service under His Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom; or

(d) that person is born in any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act in which a citizenship law has then taken effect and does not become a citizen thereof on birth.
The man Obama claims as his father is Barrack Hussein Obama, Sr., a man born in the Kenya Colony in 1936. Being born in the Kenya Colony, he was a British subject or citizen. Obama was born after the commencement of this above quoted act, ergo, Obama Jr. is a British citizen-by-descent.

The Consequence of Obama’s alleged birth story is that he’d become a Citizen of Kenya in 1963

According to the
Kenya Constitution (87), Obama became a Kenyan citizen in 1963, by virtue of the fact that his claimed father was born in the Kenya colony.

The Constitution of Kenya, Section 87, reads thus:

87*. Persons who became citizens on 12th December, 1963

Every person who, having been born in Kenya, is on llth December, 1963, as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British protected person, shall become a citizen of Kenya on 12th December, 1963:Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Kenya by virtue of this subsection if neither of his parents was born in Kenya.

Every person who, having been born outside Kenya, is on llth December, 1963, as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British protected person, shall, if his father becomes, or would but for his death have become, a citizen of Kenya by virtue of subsection (1), become a citizen of Kenya on 12th December, 1963.

Therefore Obama Jr. became a citizen of Kenya, Dec. 12, 1963, when his father did. Moreover, when his father returned to Kenya, upon graduation from Harvard, he obtained employment with the Kenyan Government as a
senior Economist.

Note, that while the Kenyan constitution prohibits dual citizenship for those 21 years old or older, it does not do so for minors (cf.
section 97 of the Kenyan Constitution).
The Consequence of Obama’s alleged birth story is that he’d remain a British citizen-by-descent after 1963.

According to the
Kenya Independence Act of 1963, Obama would have retained his British citizenship status.

This is the legal conclusion of the provisions of Chapter 54, section 3 of that act of Parliament:

3.—(1) Any reference in subsection (2) or subsection (3) of this section to a colony, protectorate or protected state shall, subject to subsection (7) of this section, be construed as a reference to a territory which is a colony, protectorate or protected state (within the meaning of the British Nationality Act 1948) on the appointed day, and, accordingly, shall not include a reference to Kenya or any part thereof.

(2) Subject to subsection (6) of this section, a person shall not cease to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies under section 2(2) of this Act if he, his father or his father’s father —

(a) was born in the United Kingdom or in a colony; or

(b) is or was a person naturalised in the United Kingdom and Colonies; or

(c) was registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies; or

(d) became a British subject by reason of the annexation of any territory included in a colony.

(3) A person shall not cease to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies under section(2) of this Act if he was born in a protectorate or protected state, or if his father or his father’s father was so born and is or at any time was a British subject.

(4) A woman who is the wife of a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall not cease to be such a citizen under section 2(2) of this Act unless her husband does so.

...
Since Obama’s claimed father was born in Kenya Colony, which was in 1936 part of the British Empire, and furthermore, since his father’s father, Hussein Onyango Obama was born in the British Protectorate of Kenya in 1895 (cfr. Dreams of My Father, p. 376; 425-426), and was therefore a British Protected Person under the British Nationality and Status Act of 1914, Obama Jr retained his British citizenship status after Dec. 12, 1963.

Obama’s alleged childhood history raises the question that he was adopted by an Indonesian citizen, and therefore became an Indonesian citizen in 1966-67.

According to the
laws of Indonesia, in force in the 1960’s, Obama would have become a citizen of Indonesia if he was adopted by Lolo Soetero at the age of 5 or younger.

It is not yet known whether he was adopted, of if he was, in what year this may have occurred. Facts to support such an adoption are thus: an Indonesian school record which indicates that he was an Indonesian citizen, bearing the name Barry Soetero, and the Dunham-Soetero Divorce Decree of 1981, which indicates a non-minor as a child of the marriage.

That Obama goes by the name “Barry” was evidenced recently, when he called into a radio show and spoke with the outgoing Governor of Virginia. On that occasion he identified himself as “Barry from D.C..” When questioned about this phone call, the White House said that it “would not be inaccurate” to say the person calling was Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.

The Presumption is that Obama did not revoke his British Citizenship on Aug. 4, 1979
According to the
British Home Office: U.K. Border Agency, to renounce British Citizenship one must be at least 18 years of age and fill out a declaration, using form RN.

Therefore, upon reaching the age of 18, on Aug. 4, 1979, Obama could have revoked his citizenship. However, the British Government has never affirmed that he has. Therefore in law we must presume that he has not, if his birth story is true.

There is ground to suppose Obama renewed his Kenyan Citizenship in 1982.

The Kenyan constitution establishes that upon reaching the age of 21 years, a Kenyan citizen must renounce all other citizenships, if he wants to retain his Kenyan citizenship. There is a 2 year window in which he must make such a renunciation. In Obama’s case this window opened on Aug. 4, 1982, and closed on Aug. 4, 1984. It is known that Obama
visited Kenya 2 years after his father’s death (which occurred in 1981), and thus in 1983, during this window of opportunity.

The Consequence of Obama’s alleged birth story is that in 1983, he’d become a British-overseas-citizen and remain such today.

The
British Nationality Act of 1981 changed the nomenclature for citizenship status.

The pertinent provision of that act is found in Chapter 61, Part III, and reads as follows:

PART III BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP


Any person who was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies immediately before commencement and who does not at commencement become either a British citizen or a [British overseas territories citizen] [FN1] shall at commencement become a British Overseas citizen.
By “commencement”, the Act signifies Jan. 1, 1983, the date upon which it went into force.

Hence according to this Act, Obama Jr. would have gone from being classified a British citizen-by-descent, to a British Overseas Citizen.

In summary, Obama was born a British citizen-by-descent, and remains a British Overseas Citizen even today — if his birth story is true. He was also a citizen of Kenya prior to age 21, and may still be one. He seems also to have been a citizen of Indonesia from 1966-1980’s, but this is uncertain.

Editor's note:

There was another article at The Post & Email with a similar title and subject, but which I was asked to pull by its author, since the author feared being attacked by Obama supporters. I owe all the research to this author, but this article is entirely my own creation, inasmuch as I have not cited the author in anything, and wrote all the above myself, excluding the cited laws.


Thanks Barb!

2 comments:

Army ration packs said...

I read a long time ago that he was born in Hawaii to an american mother. I don't know about his father. Anyway he was born on american soil to an american as far as I know. I suppose the supreme court will have to hear the evidence to the contrary and make a decision.
Army ration packs

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid your reading of British Nationality Law isn't correct. The section you cited refers to colonies that were colonies after Kenya's independence (this is what the "appointed day") refers to. Obama's father's birth in Kenya therefore does not quality (Kenya no longer being a colony on the appointed day).

This is typical of independence legislation. Britain did not (and does not) want a immigration problem, and so only very few were allowed to hold to to their Citizenship of the UK and Colonies (CUKC) upon independence.

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