Embakasi East MP Babu Owino on Sunday, October 20, called for President Uhuru Kenyatta to revoke some of the presidential awards issued in previous years after awarding Marathoner Eliud Kipchoge during the 2019 Mashujaa Day celebrations.
Taking to his Facebook account, the vocal legislator referred to Kipchoge as a Shujaa (hero) adding that it was time for the head of state to restore dignity to the national awards.
"He should revoke awards previously given to undeserving individuals in the past so that the name Kenya remains associated with glory and not mediocrity," Babu Owino stated.
The ODM MP noted that Kipchoge's motto of "No human is limited" provides us all with hope for a better tomorrow.
"I welcome the timely recognition of Eliud Kipchoge with the Elder of the Golden Heart Award. Eliud has been a shining inspiration for young people in Kenya and across the world," the MP added.
There have been questions over how the nominees for the awards are selected and the uproar culminated during the 2017 Mashujaa Day celebrations, individuals the public deemed not fit to receive the award ended up in the list of national heroes and heroines honoured by the state.
Among the controversial individuals were blogger Robert Alai, journalist Jacque Maribe, embattled State House official Dennis Itumbi and Martin Kamotho who is popularly known as Githeri Man, the voter honoured for lining up while munching githeri during the 2017 general election.
Missing on that year's list was Eliud Kipchoge who a section Kenyans were of the opinion was more deserving of the presidential awards as compared to that year's nominees.
Uhuru appears to have right the wrong, with his awarding of the marathoner the Elder of the Golden Heart Award on Sunday, October 20.
The award is the highest civilian honour in the country.
