Olympic Gold medalists to be rewarded with Sh1mn each – Pres Kenyatta

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 16 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that all gold medallists from the Olympic Games will be rewarded with S1mn as a token of appreciation from the government for their performance in Tokyo.

Speaking on Monday after hosting some of Team Kenya’s medalists at State House in Mombasa, the head of State further said that silver medalists will be rewarded with Sh750,000 while bronze medalists will be given Sh500,000 each.

Kenya picked four gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics with an equal number of silver and two bronze.

Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge, Peres Jepchirchir and Emmanuel Korir won gold for Kenya while Brigid Kosgei, Ferguson Rotich, Hellen Obiri and Timothy Cheruiyot won silver while the steeplechase duo of Hyvin Kiyeng and Benjamin Kigen earned silver for Team Kenya.

At State House, Kipyegon and Kipchoge were absent as they are away with Kipyegon currently in Oregon for this weekend’s Diamond League.

Athletes present were delighted with the gesture from the Head of State.

At the same time, President Kenyatta has directed that Cheruiyot be promoted at the Kenya Prisons from the rank of Chief Inspector of Prisons to Senior Superintendent of Prisons.

Meanwhile, President Kenyatta also announced that a uniform token of Sh200,000 will be given to all athletes and officials who were part of the Olympic Games in Tokyo as well as those who will be with the Paralympics team.

The President thanked the Olympians for their outstanding performance in Tokyo with Kenya having finished 19^th overall and top in Africa in the medal standings.

All the medalists were flown to Mombasa in the company of Athletics Kenya boss Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, Olympics Kenya boss Paul Tergat as well as World Athletics boss Seb Coe who arrived in the country on Sunday evening ahead of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.

After the Mombasa fete, focus will now shift on the World Under-20 Championship which guns off on Wednesday at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.