Anger over Kenya 2020 Olympics kit

Kenyans have taken to social media to vent their frustrations over the new kit made for their Olympic team taking part in the games in Tokyo this summer.

The kit, made by American sports company Nike, was unveiled by the National Olympics Committee of Kenya in New York on Thursday, though the official launch will take place in Nairobi in April.

Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan marathon runner who last year broke the 2-hour barrier, said the new kit was “special” and “different”.

He said, “This kit will steal the eyes of Kenyans especially [that] now people love sports”.

Another Kenyan running legend and current National Olympics President, Paul Tergat, said “the uniqueness of the design reflects the vibrant culture of Kenya”.

But many Kenyans did not like the design, saying the colours did not reflect those of the Kenyan flag, using the hashtags #TeamKenya #Tokyo2020.

One user bemoaned the lack of public consultation in the design, writing “Ours is a raw deal from Nike.  By the way, I can go to court because there was no public participation.

“Our athletes cannot compete with hexagonal honey combs [sic] patters.  We need national colours of red, black, green and with in patter [sic] of shield and spear.  Period”.

The Olympic Games will be held this summer between 24 July and 9 August, in Tokyo, Japan.

Photo: National Olympic Committee of Kenya/Twitter