A Kenyan artist has revealed that the statue of Kenya's founding father Jomo Kenyatta which President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled in Cuba was a replica version of the masterpiece he did for the government in 2010.
Oshottoe Ondula alleged that the sculpture of Jomo Kenyatta which stands in Havana’s African Heroes Park was modified which is a violation of his intellectual property rights.
The award-winning artist stated that the statue was done without his express permission adding he had registered the piece as intellectual property on July 25, 2010.
Ondula stated that Cuba had requested the Kenyan government to provide a statue of Mzee Kenyatta in 2009 to be displayed at the park alongside other prominent Africa presidents whom Fidel Castro respected.
[caption caption="A wreath at Jomo Kenyatta's monument."]
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He won the bid to make the statue and his contract required him to spend Sh3.5 Million, and use fibreglass and cast method, and take six months for the project.
The artist stated: “In 2011, I was called to the then Culture and Heritage Minister William ole Ntimama’s office to witness the handing over of the bust to the Cuban ambassador."
Cuba told the Kenyan government that the fibreglass used to make the statue could not withstand the heat in their country and they needed to redo the statue with a heat-resistant material.
Ondula maintained he was not consulted and only came to know about the developments three weeks to the unveiling.
When he reached out to NMK as to why he was not part of the entourage yet his work was part of the president’s agenda, they informed him that his sculpture was rejected and they got another artist to undertake the work in Cuba.
[caption caption="Cuba President Raúl Castro Ruz with President Uhuru Kenyatta "]
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He stated that one of his lawyers from New York, who was present at the unveiling, confirmed to him the statue was a replica of his sculpture with some features missing.
