During Eldoret’s ceremonial transition from a municipal town to a city, reports emerged about poorly crafted statues planned for permanent installation.
This upset many people, who criticized Uasin Gishu County for not doing a better job in getting quality services.
Many people felt that hiring skilled artists would have been better instead of embarrassing the city on a national stage. Due to the heavy criticism, the county had to take down the statues.
Kenyans dug through their archives and identified some talented local sculptors. One standout was Cleophas Ondula Mandela, known for his impressive work in crafting a sculpture of Eliud Kipchoge.
“Proof that the talent we harness in schools will not be exploited because of cronyism, nepotism & other –isms. Education isn’t valued because of ‘mtu-yetu’ syndrome. Certificates zinaozea kwa kabuti bure,” wrote one X-user.
In an exclusive interview, Ondula revealed that he inherited his art skills from his late father when he was just 13 years old. He’s been in the business for the past 21 years.
Ondula mentioned that his father was part of the team that created the Tom Mboya statue in Nairobi. Following in his father’s footsteps, Ondula and his wife Cheryl Nagawa crafted a statue of another Kenyan legend, Eliud Kipchoge.
When asked if the marathon champion had seen his work, Ondula revealed that Kipchoge had indeed seen and liked it. He also mentioned that he had a successful meeting with Kipchoge’s management team, which led to a purchase.
Ondula sets his prices based on size, material, and level of detail. He uses materials such as plasticine (artificial clay) to make silicone moulds, which he then casts with resin and fibreglass to create stunning art pieces. Most of these materials are sourced from India and China.
“The price ranges from KSh 700,000 to about KSh 1.5 million, depending on the material I use to make the sculpture, for example, bonded bronze and bronze,” he said.
“Sculpting is my full-time job. Just like any other hustle, there are good days and bad days… but when I work on a piece of art and get paid, I can budget accordingly and pay bills,” he added.
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The former Kenyatta University student, who dropped out to focus on art, said he’s now working on improving his skills with new technology.
He also commented on the Eldoret sculptures, saying the government should have checked them more carefully before showing them to the public.
Ondula urged public leaders and politicians to scout for talented Kenyans instead of prioritizing their interests.
“If Eldoret officials reach out I’m more than glad to deploy my services. My works are detailed and close to real-life resemblance,” he said.
Kipchoge sculpture in Oregon, US
In October 2023, Nike unveiled a statue of Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge at its headquarters in Oregon.
In a statement on its website, Nike announced that the statue is made of bronze and showcases a black and gold colour scheme that highlights Kipchoge’s running stance.
The sculpture also includes Nike-branded apparel, running shoes, and a watch. On his watch, the iconic 1:59:40 time recorded in his historic marathon in Austria, Vienna is engraved.
Further, the statue has a wristband on the left hand bearing Kichoge’s famous phrase ‘No human is limited’.
Cnstatue, a statue maker, estimates that a bronze sculpture of Kipchoge’s size could be priced between Sh. 1.1 million and 2.2 million. The statue was crafted by Alison Kaswel, a local artist from Oregon.
