A light moment emerged during a celebratory breakfast hosted by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, for the Kenyan team to the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Four-time world champion Faith Kipyegon jokingly attributed Kenya’s only men’s gold medal at the championships to ugali, the beloved Kenyan staple food.
In her remarks, Kipyegon thanked Kenya’s Ambassador to
Tokyo, Moi Lemoshira, for ensuring that Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the 800m champion,
had access to ugali before his race.
“You did an excellent job looking for ugali for Wanyonyi. I do not think we would have any gold from men were it not for the ugali which helped Wanyonyi at the finish,” she said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Kipyegon, who bagged gold in the 1,500m and silver in another event, was part of Kenya’s star-studded team that returned from Tokyo with 11 medals.
Of these, seven were gold, with six won by women.
The team was welcomed at State House with a red-carpet reception, in recognition of their stellar performance that saw Kenya finish second globally, behind only the United States.
“I want to say thank you to Kenyan Ambassador to Tokyo Moi Lemoshira,” Kipyegon repeated with a smile, before turning her attention to the broader performance of the team.
“We did a good job as women, we had six gold and men had one. So, men, you have to pull up your socks,” she added, prompting applause and good-natured chuckles from the crowd.
Ugali is more than just a meal in Kenya. It’s a cultural icon — a symbol of strength, home, and resilience. Often paired with vegetables, meat, or stew, ugali is a staple that fuels Kenyans daily.
Kenya’s gold medalists in Tokyo included Beatrice Chebet (5,000m and 10,000m), Peres Jepchirchir (women’s marathon), Lillian Odira (800m), Faith Cherotich (3,000m steeplechase), and Faith Kipyegon herself (1,500m), alongside Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the lone male gold winner.
Silver medals were clinched by Faith Kipyegon and Dorcas
Ewoi in the 1,500m, while Reynold Cheruiyot and Edmund Serem brought home
bronze in the 1,500m and 3,000m steeplechase, respectively.
Ruto lauded the athletes’ discipline and patriotism, describing them as “role models for the nation.” He announced a reward package that includes Sh3 million for each gold medalist, Sh2 million for silver, and Sh1 million for bronze.
In addition, each gold medalist will be offered an affordable housing unit, with the government covering 50 percent of the cost under the Affordable Housing Programme.
“This team represents the best of Kenya, focus, hard work, and excellence. You have inspired a generation and elevated our country on the global stage,” Ruto said.
