Tributes are pouring in for Sarah Obama – the matriarch of the Obama family. She was the step-grandmother of former US President Barrack Obama.

She died on Monday morning at a hospital in western Kenya.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has eulogised her as a virtuous woman “and an icon of family values”.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga hailed the late Mrs Obama for her leadership after her husband’s death.

“She utilised her grandson’s rise to promote the education of girls and fight social ills through her foundation,” Mr Odinga said.

President Obama’s half-sister, Auma Obama, has tweeted that her “heart is broken”, but added that she was “blessed to have her for so long”.

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o said the late Mrs Obama was “charming and warm” to everyone who visited her Kogelo village home.

The governor said Mrs Obama succumbed after a short undisclosed illness