It was case of mixed reactions from Kenyans after a statue of a lion placed in Nairobi’s CBD by the county government after its images made rounds on social media on Wednesday.
Kenyans on Twitter, popularly referred to as KOT, are usually on high alert regarding any trending issues within and outside the country and couldn’t fail to notice this.
The statue was erected on University Way roundabout and was described by some as a raw deal and a laughing stock for the city.
KOT particularly wanted it removed since it hardly meets the standards of visual representation of the true African lion, which heavily associates with Kenyan image and culture.
According to the netizens, the statue does not deserve to be put up since it was not properly sculpted; some even associate it with characters from television cartoons and animation movies.
The county government of Nairobi is on record making investments for the beautification of the city, especially during times of important events that capture the attention of the global environment.
For instance, the Couty spent over Ksh140 Million during visits by former US President Barack Obama and Catholic Pope Francis in 2015.
Under the leadership of former governor Evans Kidero, the city spent Ksh5 Million running a “beautification account” in the times of the visits by the famous world leaders.
As such Kenyans were left wondering what the deal was with Sonko’s lion and if it was serving the purpose of beautifying the city or ridiculing it instead.
Efforts to reach Nairobi County Government for information on the same proved futile.
People have also questioned the meaningfulness of the disco-looking lights placed on the highway roundabouts.
The following are some reactions by Kenyans on Wednesday in relation to the subject matter:
