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Former world javelin champion has voiced his frustration at the state’s failure to confer Head of State Commendations to Kenyan athletes despite their impressive showing in 2024.
Former world javelin champion Julius Yego has expressed his disappointment over the failure to reward athletes with State Commendations during the Jamhuri Day celebrations.
The government handed out various State Commendations during the 61st Mashujaa Day celebrations held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on Thursday but there was no athlete who was conferred with either Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) or Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (EGH) by President William Ruto.
This is despite a good showing from various Kenyan sportsmen and women in 2024 especially at the Paris 2024 Olympics and the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
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Despite making history as the first-ever Kenyan team to qualify for a World Cup, there was no recognition for Junior Starlets coach Jackline Juma or any of her players while Olympics champions like Beatrice Chebet, who won two gold medals at the Paris 2024 Games, were nowhere to be seen to the disappointment of Yego.
"Apparently no elite athlete was given recognition by the State on today’s [Thursday] Jamhuri Day as the list out has shown, yet we fill social media platforms with funny celebrations when they win, it’s not funny anyway. World record holders and Olympic medalist missed too," Yego posted on social media.
“Please, next time, when they win, do not bother us with those social posts,” added Yego, himself a past recipient of the Head of State Commendation, having been conferred with the OGW.
Besides the aforementioned, there were also some impressive performances from Paris from Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who won gold in 800m, before claiming the Diamond League Trophy.
The 2024 Jamhuri Day was not a good one for Kenyan athletes unlike last year when Faith Kipyegon was conferred with EGH, the highest honour in the land, while the OGW went to marathoner Hellen Obiri and world 800m champion Mary Moraa as Ferdinand Omanyala received the Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS).
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