Authorities in the Kenyan city of Eldoret have removed statues of three athletes after they were widely ridiculed and described as substandard. The GuardianThe sculptures were unveiled earlier this week to showcase the city’s agricultural and sporting heritage. The sculptures included statues of athletes and a corncob sculpture next to a wheat stalk. However, photos of the sculptures caused an uproar on social media. Local residents and Kenyans mocked the sculptures online and criticised the city administration and the sculptors.
One particular sculpture that faced ridicule depicted a female athlete running while holding a small Kenyan flag in her left hand. Sharing a photo of the sculpture on X (formerly Twitter), one user said these artworks reflected “our collective mediocre state as a country.” “Eldoret City Launch. Who is this? This is outrageous,” wrote another user. “This is cheap and cheesy to say the least. We can do better than this,” commented a third.
These statues of Faith Kipyegon and Eliud Kipchoge in Eldoret reflect our collective mediocrity as a country. pic.twitter.com/R9BLlbisAm
— Gwala (@its_Edwin0) August 15, 2024
Another statue that caught the attention of social media users was the statue of marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge. A user shared a photo of the statue and called it a “joke”. “Whoever did this will not get to heaven,” the user wrote.
#mainaandkingangi @ItsMainaKageni @Classic105Kenya
kenya is a joke
Whoever did this to our athletes will not get heaven
Alaaaaa
Kipchoge statue in US vs Kenya pic.twitter.com/GVKa2Cnken
— Kipleting Manuela Son of Eldoret (@ItsKipleting) August 15, 2024
Following criticism, Kenyan city officials removed the sculptures at night. BBC According to reports, county officials have removed three statues – two of female athletes and one of a male. Officials said all the statues have been moved to an undisclosed location.
Kenyans online welcomed the removal of the status. It is unclear if, or when, the statues will be replaced.
Meanwhile, Eldoret was granted city status earlier this week. At the same time, Kenyan President William Ruto honoured Kenyan medallists from the Paris Olympics at an event held at the Eldoret State Lodge. The athletes later took out an open car parade, with thousands of residents lining the city’s streets to celebrate.
Kenya was the highest-ranked African nation at the Paris Olympics, finishing 17th on the medal table with four gold, two silver and five bronze medals.
