The television in Juba, a Somalian restaurant near Cleveland Hopkins Airport is always tuned to the cable news networks these days. Ibrahim Mohammad from Somalia controls the remote and flips between Fox News, CNN and MSNBC for anything on the race for US President - especially the contest between Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Ibrahim Mohammad: I was watching tonight because they are starting to attack each other - I think its going to get crazy but its going to be very close.
Mohammad watches as nearly a dozen taxi drivers of East African descent pass through the restaurant's screen door. Election fever is strong here. Memya Kilat from Uganda says he's keeping up with the primary minute by minute to keep tabs on his candidate, Barack Obama. Kilat says watching the son of an East African being taken seriously for the job of U.S. President is profoundly inspiring.
Memya Kilat: The meaning is greater than just African. The meaning is that there is hope for the majority of people who feel that their voice do not count.
Taxi driver Julius Kimeni plans to vote for the first time in this election. Originally from Kenya, the 44-year-old says at first he couldn't make up his mind whether to vote Republican or Democrat. But Kimeni has picked Obama be cause he believes his foreign policy efforts will include more outreach to Africa.
Julius Kimeni: When a person vying for the President of the United States says it's not just enough to hold on to the friends we currently have we need more friends that excites me a lot.
Obama is the clear favorite here, but dissent comes from the sole woman in the restaurant. Dressed in a colorful batik and head covering, Rukia Abdi calls from the restaurant's kitchen where she's cooking dinner.
Rukia Abdi: Hillary Clinton! Hillary Clinton!! She women!
Translator: She's going to vote for Hillary Clinton, because she's a woman, that's what she say.
Over dinners of stew and bread, customers chat about the day's news and quiz patron Ibrahim Mohammad who has just returned from a trip to Kenya and Somalia. They want to know if people back home are as interested in the US election.
Julius Kimeni: How come my brother was talking about Obama on the telephone? is it become George W. Bush is in Tanzania?
Ibrahim Mohammad: I don't know...
Juilius Kimeni: Next time it will be President Barack Obama in Somalia!
For Ugandan Memya Kilat, his interest in the US Presidential race is global.
Memya Kilat: The people are going to make a decision on which direction this country is going and ultimately the way the entire world is going.
Kilat will get his chance to make his voice heard. The naturalized citizen will cast his vote on March 4th. Mhari Saito, 90.3.