Lilian Odira, the 800 metres world champion, has been promoted to the rank of sergeant by the Kenya Prisons Service.
Kenya Prisons Service congratulated Odira in a statement after her heroic performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where she broke a 800M record set 43 years ago.
“The Kenya Prisons Service is proud to announce the promotion of Lillian Odira to the rank of Sergeant following her historic triumph at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, where she broke the 800M world record after 43 years,” KPS stated.
The promotion took place during the Prison Service Flag Returning Ceremony at the Kenya Prison Headquarters in Nairobi on Friday.
On September 20, Odira broke the championship record after clocking an impressive time of 1:54.62 in the women's 800 metres.
While awarding her promotion badge, Patrick Aranduh, Commissioner General of Prisons, praised Odira for her incredible efforts.
“Sergeant Lillian Odira has brought immense pride and honour to the Kenya Prisons Service and to the nation of Kenya. Her discipline, commitment and resilience embody the values of this Service,” Aranduh said.
He also commended the dedication and expertise of Superintendent Jacinta Muraguri, a retired 1500M and 800M world champion, whose mentorship and coaching played a pivotal role in shaping Sergeant Odira into a world champion.
On October 2, Ruto announced the release of Ksh27 million to reward athletes who represented Kenya in the just-concluded World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Ruto stated that gold medalists would receive Ksh3 million, silver medalists Ksh2 million, and bronze medalists would get Ksh1 million.
Kenya secured an impressive second-place finish overall in the championships, earning a total of 11 medals, including seven gold, two silver and two bronze.
The gold stars included Beatrice Chebet(5,000m & 10,000m), Faith Kipyegon (1,500m), Peres Jepchirchir (women’s marathon), Lillian Odira (800m), Faith Cherotich (3,000m steeplechase), and Emmanuel Wanyonyi (800m).
