Eldoret immediately removes athlete statues before city accreditation
Published on: 15 August 2024 07:30 (EAT)
A side-by-side image of Eldoret Town signage and an athlete statue erected on Wednesday.
All preparations have been made for the official designation of Eldoret as the fifth city in Kenya.
President William Ruto and other government officials, local politicians and sportsmen will grace the event at the Eldoret Sports Club grounds.
The President will host a grand reception and breakfast for the Olympic champions at the Eldoret State Lodge on Thursday morning.
The Head of State will then lead the athletes and other dignitaries in a grand procession at the sports club to mark the opening of the city of Eldoret.
Government officials, led by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, PS Julius Bitok and Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, were on site until late at night overseeing the final touches.
Statue fiasco
In preparation for the award ceremony, Uasin Gishu County held a town beautification event. Trees were planted along the streets and statues were erected at key points in the town.
On Wednesday afternoon, three statues of athletes, a milk fountain, and wheat and corn statues were erected at various locations in the city.
Uasin Gishu County has erected statues along Oginga Odinga Road to boast of its agricultural and sporting heritage.
They had not expected a nighttime rush to remove the statues that had exposed the new city to ridicule on social media platforms.
Pictures of the statues went viral on social media and Kenyans said the artwork was poorly done. County officials removed the statues at around 9pm and moved them to an unknown location.
