What do you remember about 2012? We know for Kenya it was a great year… because once again it was an Olympic year, a moment for us to shine…and shine we did. Team Kenya turned up in London to join all the fanfare of James Bond landing from a helicopter and into the Olympic stadium and we brought our own fire! First up was he of the magical gait -David Rudisha first of his name, did us proud when he took the gold in the 800m and did so by setting a new World and Olympic record at 1:40:91 … A record that still stands today aiririririririiiii! Four steps behind him was Timothy Kitum who brought home a bronze. Let’s just say it was the beginning of a new era in Kenya’s running tactics, we were showing up in spades in the shorter distances that we weren’t as well known for. Then there was Ezekiel Kemboi who brought home our other gold in what we have decided is OUR race – the 3000m steeplechase… and of course when he crossed the finished line there was that dance…you know it right? Cheza cheza! Mr YouTube himself Julius Yego took his javelin throwing skills all the way to the finals- the first time that Kenya made it that far. All in all we brought home 11 medals from London 2012, half of which were brought home by our fantastic lady athletes – Vivian Cheruiyot, Pamela Jelimo, Priscah Jeptoo, Sally Kipyego…we see you ! For real our runners are everything!
But that wasn’t the only highlight we are looking back on. It was a great year for creatives as well… In October Nairobi Half Life was released. An emotionally hard hitting and expertly woven tale of life in our nation’s capital. Under the direction of David Tosh Gitonga with the superb acting of Joseph Wairimu as the protagonist Mwas, we got to learn about the ins and outs of life in the big city. The film was not just a commercial success but an artisic one as well as it was put forward as the Kenyan entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards – our very first time to make a submission. While we didn’t get selected for the Oscars, we had something to offer to a that put us on a global stage and that it a story worth telling. Meanwhile Joseph took home the Best Actor award at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and the Africa Movie Academy Award for Most Promising Actor that year. All in all the film took home seven international awards that year.
2012 was undoubtedly the year in which Kenyan talent shone globally and for that we celebrate a beautiful year.
#ThrowbackDecade
