The County Government of Uasin Gishu in partnership with National Museums of Kenya and Havard University are working on a program to harness the athletics fame that abound in the region.
The program seeks to tap into the athletics fame that Kenya relishes and preserve it as a heritage.
Kenya is an athletics goose that lays the athletics eggs, stretching production of best runners from 1964 upto date.
Speaking as he graced a workshop dubbed ‘Footprints: 2 million years of running in Kenya’, in Eldoret on Friday, Deputy Governor Engineer John Barorot said the heritage will work to motivate generations to come.
Eng. Barorot said the program is inspired by the fact that Uasin Gishu heavily contributes to Kenya’s dominance in athletics. He disclosed a county plan to harness sports for empowerment.
“We are also mulling over a program to incorporate sports and academic excellence. This will go an extra mile to bring up people who can do well in class and sport,” said the DG.
The County Government already built a wall of fame at the Eldoret Arboretum, with names and awards of athletics world-beaters whose names are in the global charts.
Murals of celebrated world-beaters
Speakers proposed the establishment of walls and murals with names and details of celebrated world-beaters, along major highways. This also promotes tourism, as world record holder over 3000 metres, Daniel Komen, proposed.
Prof. Daniel Lieberman, a professor from Havard University, said the running fame that Kenya relishes needs to be harnessed to be a motivation to generations. Daniel Manthi, the Director of Antiquities at the National Museums of Kenya, had almost similar sentiments.
The partnership will also birth a national exhibition to celebrate Kenya’s athletics and running heritage, later this year.
County Executive for Sports, Eng Lucy Ng’endo, Chief Officer Jelagat Tirop, and deputy directors Nicholas Busienei, Meshack Chemwor, Viola Korir and Henry Mukolwe, also attended the workshop.
Retired and active athletes and coaches were also present.
