A Kenyan city was forced to remove statues commemorating the country’s national athletics heroes after public outcry over their embarrassingly poor likenesses.
Authorities in Eldoret, known for its rich sporting history, unveiled three athlete statues to mark President William Ruto's conferring of city status on the community.
However, the artworks quickly became the subject of widespread ridicule on social media platforms.
Kenyan citizens have mercilessly mocked the sculptures, directing their ire at both the town's administration and the artists responsible.
A statue portraying Olympic gold medal-winning female runner Faith Kipyegon clutching a miniature Kenyan flag drew significant criticism.
Faith Kipyegon's statue in Eldoret. pic.twitter.com/jCv2CMbRHB
— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) August 14, 2024
Social media users lambasted the sculpture's poorly rendered facial features and disproportionate body, deeming it an unflattering representation of the town's athletic legacy.
“Eldoret City launch. Who is this? This is a violation”, wrote X user Eve Maina.
“This is shoddy and lousy to say the least. We can do better than this,” said another person.
Kevin J. Muringih quipped that the town "must have subcontracted the same guy" responsible for the infamous 2017 bronze bust of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, which had also been widely mocked.
Officials from Uasin Gishu county removed the controversial statues on Wednesday night in response to widespread criticism.
Eldoret's city status ceremony went ahead as scheduled on Thursday. President William Ruto officiated the event at Eldoret sports club, formally granting the new designation.
President Ruto also honoured Kenya's Paris Olympics medalists at Eldoret state lodge. The athletes then participated in an open-car parade through the city, with thousands of residents lining the streets in celebration.
Kenya's strong performance at the Paris Olympics reinforced its reputation in athletics. The country ranked highestamong African nations and 17th overall, securing four gold, two silver, and five bronze medals.
Kenya continues to produce elite runners, including former world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon, current world record holder for the 1,500 metres and mile.
