A day after President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned the Standard Gauge Railway, a sculptor in Nakuru has unveiled his one-year-old sculpture of the president as his gift for what he describes as “exemplary development record.”
Wanjeri Macharia, a 33-year-old part time painter, hopes to award the President in what appears to be the only affordable way he understands for the country’s social cohesion achieved through the leadership of the Jubilee Government in its first term.
The Uhuru Kenyatta impression is assembled using waste material he collected from his neighbourhood and some that have cost the father of three a fortune. He said he has been inspired by his resolve to show gratitude to the Head of State for his quest to improve the country’s economy through provision of essential services.
The odd looking odd-looking statue has been attracting attention at his workshop, but hardly does the young and jovial president justice. First, the sculptor has been less generous with the mouth area, especially given that Uhuru is well endowed with lips.
He also gives him a slim long (instead of small rounded) face with a pointed head, which makes him look like Deputy President, William Ruto. The keen eye will see that the grin left by the sculptor on his face gives the President a feel of ODM leader Raila Odinga. But Wanjeri gets the credit for getting the president’s eyes almost right!
The casual labourer had planned the President’s sculpture, which embodies power and leadership, to reach him on June 1st, when Kenyans celebrated the 54th Madaraka Day. Among other achievements made by the Jubilee Government that the sculptor wishes to acknowledge through his precision Art is the successful war against production and consumption of illicit brews.
He said that this development has enabled hundreds of thousands of youth in the country formerly addicted to alcohol and other dangerous drugs to rediscover their potential and venture into meaningful activities.
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Wanjeri said he has employed youth recovering from alcohol addiction to work on the sculptor and other carving projects. This, he said, has helped many to develop careers in art and that today they are sober, self-reliant and useful in the society.
The initiative has, however, not been without challenges as he has been seen as insane by some friends and even relatives. However, some neighbours who have been supporting him want the government to nurture talent by establishing cottage industries in the county, which grappling with soaring youth unemployment.
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