Sarah Obama, Barack Obama’s step-grandmother from Kenya, will fly to the United States this week for a private Inaugural ball. And she’s bringing some pretty unique gifts for the president-elect. Like what? Well, a three-legged stool, a shield and a traditional Luo oxtail fly whisk. Mrs. Obama also told the Standard newspaper that she hopes to bring a traditional spear and shield from her Luo tribe, but airline security won’t give her the green light. "I have been told that, due to security reasons, I will not be allowed to board a plane with it," she explained.

President-elect Barack Obama is not especially close with his grandmother, who is actually the stepmother of his Kenyan father, who abandoned him when he was a child and died in 1982. While his paternal grandmother will witness her grandson’s historical moment, Madelyn Dunham, the maternal grandmother who raised Obama, died two days before Election Day, but will be there in spirit, we’re sure.

And although the gifts may sound peculiar to us, the 86-year-old explains that the objects have a deeper meaning in the Luo tradition.

"Wadhi gure e kom mondo oti ne jo piny (we are going to install him on the throne so that he can serve humanity)," she said in Dholuo language. Let’s hope her optimism translates to reality!

Read more from the AFP and Kenyan Broadcasting Company.