Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has today explained the events of the ‘Lion Statue Installation’ at the Nairobi City Center.
The Governor said that the the criticized lion was not the final deal and Kenyans might have been too quick to react. He also added saying that good things take much time and often involve a very elaborate process.
“The mounting and finishing of such a Statue had to be taken through different artistic steps towards the final artwork by our local artists from Nairobi. Many of my lovely critics missed out for not knowing what it takes to plan, design, make and mount a life-size statue from start to finish.”he said
Sonko also made it clear that the work had to be done in stages and that is why it seemed incomplete.
He however says that despite the criticism, he is glad that people could see what the county is trying to achieve.
The Nairobi Governor says that The “lion” that went viral was put there just to help the local artists in taking measurements and to guide the positioning for the proper installation and final artwork including trimming of the artificial hair and edges then final polishing which is now 75% done.
Sonko also noted that even with the lion statue installation, his administration has more plans that need to be executed in the spirit of the beautification project.
He also made it known that the Lion Statue and some of the beautification Programmes are his personal initiatives and no public funds are being spent on them apart from paying the casuals who are maintaining the grass and flowers.
The Governor also opened up about his intention to make similar statues of the big 5 wild animals as part of the perfect celebration of the Nairobi City County’s unique heritage as the only capital City in the World with a National Park.
Mike Sonko said that many people come from so far to see their Big Game and it is only fair if they give them an idea of what to expect once they venture beyond the streets of Nairobi.
He reiterated that people must appreciate the fact that every good thing takes time and assured them that they will marvel at the beauty of the statue once it is complete.