Eldoret pulls down shoddy statue of an athlete
Uasin Gishu county faced criticism over poorly crafted statues symbolizing city status due to a shortage of professional sculptors.
Public outcry, particularly on social media, led to the statues’ removal before an event with President Ruto.
Similar incidents have previously occurred in Nairobi, suggesting an ongoing issue with local sculpting skills.
A picture showing the athlete statue was removed after intensive criticism.
After Uasin Gishu county was obliged to destroy some of the statues it had erected to symbolize its acquisition of city status, the shortage of professional sculptors in the nation has once again come to light. After the sculptures were unveiled, a debate emerged, particularly on social media, where locals questioned the sculptors’ skill.
According to sources, a senior government figure was offended by the monuments and gave the order to have them moved or replaced. Tito Koiyet, the CEO of the Eldoret Municipal Board, was not immediately available for comment. Before President Ruto’s event to give Governor Jonathan Bii the city charter, the monument installation companies under contract are now in the process of removing them from their original locations.
Most locals expressed dissatisfaction at the work done on the monuments that have been placed at various key roundabouts in the town’s central business district. Although the town is home to hundreds of well-known veteran and current record-breaking sportsmen, one of the monuments built at the Fims crossroads was dedicated to an athlete whose likeness could not be identified. The uproar forced the county government to act quickly to avoid further criticism. Photos captured at night showed that the statue had been pulled down, with many hailing the move.
In 2019, Mike Sonko was made fun of by the people of Nairobi after a statue like a weathered lion was placed at the Waiyaki Way-University Way intersection. At the same location, a more exquisite and lifelike statue was built a few days after the outcry. Residents and tourists alike were enthralled by the new statue.
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