The international arrivals section at Terminal 1B of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi was turned into a cacophonous and kaleidoscopic carnival of jubilation on Tuesday as an ecstatic welcome party colonised the area to give a heroes' reception to Kenyan athletes and officials arriving from the 2025 World Athletics Championships which ended in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday.
The delegation comprised 48 of the 59 athletes who represented Kenya at the 20th edition of the championships. The delegation included world champions Emmanuel Wanyonyi (men’s 800 metres), Beatrice Chebet (women’s 5,000 and 10,000 metres), Faith Kipyegon (women’s 1,500 metres), and Lilian Odira (women’s 800 metres).
Women's 1,500m champion and 5,000m silver medallist Faith Kipyegon (center) displays her medals at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi upon arrival from the World Athletics Champions in Tokyo September 23, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Kenya finished second with 11 medals – seven gold, two silver, and two bronze, behind the US, which had a total of 26 medals.
A roar of wild cheers greeted the athletes at the welcoming lobby, pushing mountains of suitcases. The welcoming party gifted the athletes and officials flowers and garlanded them with shiny tinsels and vines of the linear-leaved Periploca.
Hugs, kisses, and high fives were plenty before the athletes were led into awaiting vehicles.
At hand to welcome the athletes was Sports PS Elijah Mwangi, who affirmed the government's promise to continue supporting athletes and praised them, their coaches, and Athletics Kenya for bringing glory to the country.
"Our athletes have done us proud and as President William Ruto has promised, each gold medallist will be gifted Sh3 million. Silver medallists will be awarded Sh2 million and bronze medallists will receive Sh1 million," Mwangi said.
One of the athletes who will reap big from the government's new prize money model for Olympic and World medallists is 25-year-old Beatrice Chebet.
Women's 10,000m and 5,000m world champion Beatrice Chebet displays her medals when the Kenyan team to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on September 23, 2025.
She won two gold in the women's 5,000m and 10,000m races. The victories will see her earn Sh6 million, in addition to the $140 000 (Sh18 million) she will receive from World Athletics.
Chebet – who became the first woman to hold the world record, the Olympic title, and the World Athletics Championship titles in two events – expressed satisfaction with her performance in Tokyo saying, “I am very grateful to return with two gold medals this time and I now set my eyes on becoming a multiple world and Olympic champion.”
Lilian Odira, who shattered a 42-year-old world record to clinch the gold medal in the women’s 800 metres, was carried shoulder high by her Kenya Prisons teammates. She credited her success to God and the support of her teammates – former women’s 800 metres world champion Mary Moraa and Sarah Moraa.
Women's 800m world champion Lilian Odira is carried shoulder high when the Kenyan team to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on September 23, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
“Our main target was to ensure Kenya retained the title that Mary Moraa won in Budapest and we worked together to achieve that,” Odira, who hails from Migori County, said.
Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko was among those present to receive the athletes at the airport. Ayacko hailed Odira for bringing glory to Migori County.
“I promise from my administration that we will reward and honour Lilian Odira,” Ayacko said.
Enthusiastic welcome party
Stone-faced NYS marshals and National Police Service officers were the only serious people in that melee of cheers and dances.
The security officers had a hard time corralling the enthusiastic welcome party in their designated area, which had been turned into a dance floor by street jesters and traditional dancers hired by members of the athletics clubs that the athletes belonged to.
Arriving tourists and staff of various airlines savoured the show with smiles and waves that told of their marvel at an athletics nation exhibiting the most enchanting element of its psyche.
Men's 800m world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi with other members of Team Kenya are received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on September 23, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Members of the various athletics clubs in the welcoming party showed up in tracksuits and full institution uniforms, proudly displaying their colours and emblems. They carried artworks, giant flags, and banners which they waved and displayed proudly.
They had garlanded and crowned themselves in wreaths of the linear-leaved Periploca, presenting evidence that the government's efforts to increase the country's tree cover suffered a massive setback on Tuesday.
A massive boom box they had carried banged with music, adding to the joyous mood. A group of drummers and a man playing a jingle provided more sound effects, which were punctuated by jubilant crowds chanting the names of Kenya's champion athletes.
The songs and dance only stopped periodically as the head-bobbing, arm-waving, foot-tapping, knee-bending, back-dipping, shoulder-shaking, and twerking welcoming party took a break to choreograph the next dance, compose the next song, and change the massive boom box's playlist.
The music changed rhythm like the cadence in a 1,500metres race. First, there was a lull moment highlighted by the slow and smooth crooning of traditional songs from various Kenyan communities and a rousing rendition of the world famous "Hakuna Matata" song.
The melodic storm arrived with a change of tune to high-tempo music, which upped energy and noise levels as the welcome party engaged in more vigorous dancing and loud sing-alongs.
