Chelsea Clinton and her not-so-secret Kenyan admirer

Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor is in love. And apparently his wife does not mind that it is another woman for whom his deepest affections are reserved. Or that the woman in question is a member of one of the United States' leading political families.

Back in 2000 when then-President Bill Clinton was on a visit to Kenya with his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea, Mr Chepkurgor asked Mr Clinton for the hand of his daughter in marriage. To demonstrate his seriousness the Kenyan man offered a dowry. And a reasonably generous one at that, according to Fareed Zakaria of CNN who raised the question of the long-standing offer when moderating at a meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The meeting was held on Thursday in a town hall in Kenya's capital Nairobi and when asked about the dowry of 40 goats and 20 cows offered by Mr Chepkurgor, Mrs Clinton explained that the decision as to who her daughter, now 29, marries was one that would be made by her daughter alone. Amid laughter from the audience in the town hall Mrs Clinton said:

My daughter is her own person, very independent, so I will convey this very kind offer

Mr Chepkurgor, the 39-year-old owner of a computer store in the Kenyan city of Nakuru, married his wife Grace in 2006 but as laws in Kenya permit polygamous relationships he is still free to pursue Ms Clinton. Accepting that he will probably never get to meet or speak with the woman he describes as "beautiful, disciplined and well-natured" the Kenyan man nevertheless expressed his admiration for how the Clintons as a family "stick together". Clearly surprised that the subject of his offer, still valid and waiting to be taken up, was even mentioned Mr Chepkurgor then added:

I just want to convey my message of goodwill to the Clintons. And to all of America

There have been rumors circulating that Chelsea Clinton is to marry soon. She is currently dating Marc Mezvinsky, himself the child of parents who were politicians, but as the Huffington Post reports such rumors have been dismissed by Hillary Clinton.