This excuse doesn’t hold up to scrutiny since Barak Sr. wasn’t actually born in Kisumu. Evidently he was born in the Rachuonyo District instead.
Or so some sources say. Others put the birthplace in Kanyadhiang (which looks like it's in the Rachuonyo District) or Kogelo (which isn't). I'm not sure how exact anyone can be for someone born in an African village--the best they can do for his birth date is "1936." Kisumu may just have been the first one to promote it as a tourist draw.