UK Kenyans share day of marathon glory

The old, the young and the very young from Britain’s Kenyan diaspora were out in full force at the marathon starting point in Greenwich Park to witness history being written. They were there to watch First Lady Margaret Kenyatta join around 36,000 runners in the 34th edition of the annual Virgin Money London Marathon.

Dressed in a white top, black and red tracksuit, pink running shoes and a black cap with Kenyan colours, the diminutive athlete number 27073 stepped out elegantly with her team. She mixed easily with the thousands of runners flowing like a stream as the clock struck 10 on that sunny morning of April 13.

Few running alongside her realised they were rubbing shoulders with Kenya’s First Lady, who was making global history as the first spouse of a sitting president to take part in this world-famous event.

But there was a carnival atmosphere on the sidelines as a loud cheer went out from the flag-waving and cheering Kenyans who had spotted Margaret among the runners warming up for the 42-km run.

This was not going to be a Sunday picnic, but a gruelling show of stamina and endurance for the runners.

Spectator Joe Kimemia could not hide his feelings: “She looked awesome, so regal, yet so simple. In spite of her position, she had no VIP airs as she mixed with ordinary Britons.”

There was a well-organised cheering squad to applaud the First Lady along the route, and witness the climax at the finishing line. Its coordinator, Janet Wainaina of UKenTV, said she would never forget the momentous event, and was grateful that so many Kenyans turned up. More than 1,000 invitations were sent out, and most were honoured. Many other Kenyans turned up on their own initiative.

“Everyone was extremely excited, not only for the First Lady, but also the star athletes taking part in the event. We all wanted to be a part of this great day for Kenya,” Janet said.

Waved flags

Spectator Jack Waiyaki noted that along the route, ‘Mama Taifa’ acknowledged the presence of the many children and adults dressed in Kenyan colours cheering her on. She waved as they screamed her name and sang Kenyan songs.

At mile 22, Daughters of Kenya, a group of Kenyan university students led by Nicha Mawenu, had gathered a huge crowd who waved flags, umbrellas and balloons.

When Kenyans saw Margaret at the finishing line seven hours after starting the marathon, there was screaming and cheering and almost-synchronised singing of Hakuna matata and Twajivunia kuwa waKenya.

Diaspora Kenyans were also excited to have access to President Uhuru Kenyatta, in London especially for the event, his mother, Mama Ngina Kenyatta, and other top government officials. Everyone was ecstatic as they acknowledged the exceptional task successfully completed by the First Lady.

The Kenya brand sparkled in all its glory in London, complete with our national colours, as a shining example of unity thousands of miles away from home.

Our elite athletes were also given a surprise as songs, including Mugithi, were sung for them as they got into their cars.

Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu was part of the cheering, waving and singing with a huge crowd across The Mall in London, where the marathon ended.

Janet Wainaina did an indefatigable job, coordinating her batch of the cheering squad and organising special passes for the large number of diaspora Kenyans to access the event at The Mall.

“I took up this initiative to make sure our First Lady received moral support, felt our love for her, and knew that we Kenyans in the UK were part of her awesome campaign,” Janet said.

The London-based Diaspora Youth Empowerment also lent a hand by providing volunteers on the great occasion. Its founder, Stessy Nyaga, described it as “a great opportunity and humbling experience that we were able to do this with our First Lady”.

The remarkable turnout of wananchi from all corners of Britain impressed Kenyan High Commissioner Ephraim Ngare, and he urged them to continue their support for Mrs Kenyatta’s Beyond Zero campaign to help vulnerable mothers by purchasing 47 mobile clinics.

The First Lady’s presence at the London Marathon gave Beyond Zero a shot in the arm, as donations poured in and pledges were made. Stessy said her group had donated £2,000 (Sh290,000) from the sale of T-shirts during the marathon. And Kenyan entrepreneur Joash Robinson, who runs the Kenya Coffee House chain in London, pledged £12,000 (Sh 1.8 million) to Beyond Zero in the next 12 months, mainly from in-house charity events.

There is no doubt that the First Lady left an indelible mark in London, and the diaspora Kenyans were proud to have been part of this momentous event.

Photo:  voiceofsport.net                                                                           

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