Many may not know the man behind the new lion statues erected by Nairobi County Government in various locations in the City.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, County Communications Director, Elkana Jacob, confirmed that Oshoto Ondula is indeed the artist who sculpted them.
He disclosed that the talented Kenyan was also consulted by former President Daniel Moi to help him with a gift intended for Queen Elizabeth II in 1983 during her trip to Kenya.
Oshoto told Kenyans.co.ke that he met Moi after a painting he had done for former Attorney General Charles Njonjo impressed him.
“That was my first work that I did as an artiste as President Moi commissioned me to do a gift to Queen Elizabeth during her state visit in Kenya. It was a sculpture of an eagle,” Oshoto narrated.
He added that he had done sculptures and busts for over 30 Heads of States including Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Right Honourable Trudeau, the father of the sitting Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
“This was made possible by the fact that I had strong links with the Kenya Foreign Affairs ministry and whenever the president was making a state visit to foreign countries I would make sculpture gifts that he would take with him," he recounted.
Other notable statues that bear the mark of Oshoto include the lions at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's mausoleum, Tom Mboya statue along Moi Avenue, as well as a Jomo Kenyatta bust that rests in Cuba’s Freedom Corner.
He is glad he was able to save Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from the ridicule following the statues that had Kenyans bursting in laughter.
Speaking about a Sikh statue he had erected in Kisumu that caused controversy, he commented that people feared the sculpture was a form of idolatry, which was far from the case.
The seasoned sculptor had put the rumours aside and continued sculpting the peace monument commissioned by Kisumu Sikh community to commemorate the centenary of Siri Guru Singh Sabha Temple, but was later brought down.
