Uasin Gishu MCAs have approved a motion to rename one of the main streets in Eldoret town in honour of athlete Eliud Kipchoge.
Kipchoge is the man of the moment after he became the first human being to run n a marathon in less than two hours. The Olympic champion clocked 1:59.40 in Vienna, Austria last Saturday.
The motion to rename a street in honour of Kipchoge was tabled by nominated MCA Leah Mallot. Mallot is a former athlete.
The ward representatives said Kipchoge’s achievements have made him one of the all-time greatest athletes and thus deserves to be honoured.
“We thus ask the Uasin Gishu county government to identify one of the main streets and have it renamed after Kipchoge. This will also be in recognition of the honour brought to this country by all other athletes,” Mallot said.
Kipchoge hails from Nandi and Governor Stephen Sang has said they will find the best way to honour the athlete.
Meanwhile, Cheranganyi MP Joshua Kuttuny has criticised Deputy President William Ruto and those with whom he travelled to Vienna to cheer Kipchoge in breaking the marathon record.
He said it was ironical for the leaders to fly abroad yet they have abandoned the construction of stadiums that were aimed at developing talents among youth.
"While all Kenyans celebrate Kipchoge’s success at the INEOS Challenge, the DP and his team were being hypocritical and joyriders taking advantage of the athlete’s victory," Kutuny said.
The MP said Kipchoge, like many other sports personalities have along been ignored by the government. He said the state has failed to recognise their efforts and support sports development activities.
Ruto was in Vienna with governors Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu) and Stephen Sang of Nandi.
In 2013, the Jubilee government announced that it would build five stadiums. None has been built to date.
Kuttuny said nothing has been done at Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet despite Ruto promising on several occasions that being renovated.
The government had listed the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret among those that were t be built to international standards.
“Ironically, Ruto and his team used public money to travel to Austria claiming to be sports lovers yet stadiums in their backyards are in deplorable conditions,” Kuttuny in a statement on Thursday.
He said there was nothing to show the leaders were serious about sports development and accused them of taking advantage of Kipchoge’s success in marathon to "misuse public resources.'
“When will they walk the talk and build the stadiums in their home towns or they simply went to celebrate Kipchoge in Austria as part of the usual political showoff?”
"In 2017, the government said it would build a total of nine stadia instead of the original five that Jubilee had promised in 2013 but none has been done."
He said the state of sporting facilities remain deplorable despite promises that they will be improved.
"This clearly shows that the government has failed to prioritise the welfare of its sportsmen and women. The national and county governments have failed to establish sports academies to develop talents of young people,” Kuttuny said.
edited by peter obuya
