A Form Three student is the talent behind a State House dummy gifted to Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Raila and his running mate Martha Karua received the miniature model on Sunday during a Narok rally.
“Hiyo ni nini? Hiyo ni ikulu? Patia Martha (What’s that? Is it State House? Hand it to Martha.) Hawa vijana wamepatia mimi State House,” said the former Prime minister.
“Itakuwa maskani yangu na Martha atakuwa na ofisi hapo ndani. Kuja tupige picha hapa mbele ya State House yetu (These youths have gifted me the State House.
“That will be my residence and Martha will have an office inside it. Come we take a photo with our State House),” he added.
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The Masikonde Day Secondary School student Master Wellington Otieno has had the idea since 2019 but due to financial constraints only brought his idea to life two months ago.
Otieno, the first born in a family of three, told the Nation that the project cost him some Sh6,000. He received part of the money from his pastor because his mother could not raise the money.
“I have made several artworks such as buses and I have even made a model of my dream house but the ‘State House’ was my biggest project,” said Otieno.
“When I shared the vision of constructing the ‘State House’ with my mum, she was impressed but she told me that it will not be possible because she did not have money for the materials,” he continued.
He told the daily that creating the “State House” made out of plastics and cartons and it lights up at night using dry cells, took him at least four weeks.
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He learnt about Raila’s visit to the area from a friend the day before the material day. Determined to meet his preferred presidential candidate, Otieno and his mother, Jael Achieng, set off for William ole Ntimama Stadium.
“We tucked ourselves in the huge crowd guarding our ‘State House’, but as the crowd continued swelling there was a need for space. Some people snatched it from us, lifted it up and off it went to the dais,” he says.
Disappointed that he did not get to hand “State House” to Raila, Otieno and Ms Achieng went back home.
His principal, Caroline Rono, described him as a humble boy with a unique talent that should be harnessed.
“When I watched it in the news, I was amazed by the art. It looked so real! I had not known that it was my own student who did it. I wished I was there. I feel I lost a glorious moment,” she says.
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“He made the art out of his heart and he did not know that it was a big thing. As Masikonde, we feel we are winners. His success is our success.”
Otieno, even after making the news, still hopes to meet Raila and visit the House on the Hill currently occupied by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“I still want to present this gift to him in person so that he keeps it until he ascends to the real State House. I would also love to visit the real State House and even meet the current occupant, President Uhuru Kenyatta,” says Otieno.
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