Ruto honours Linet Masai, Bob Munro in Jamhuri Day celebrations

President William Ruto Thursday awarded 634 Kenyans during the 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations, recognising their distinguished service to the nation.

Among the honorees were 2009 World 10,000m champion, Linet Masai, and veteran football administrator Bob Munro.

Masai was conferred with the Head of State’s Commendation (HSC) in the Military Division for her outstanding contribution to athletics. Munro, former chairman of Mathare United, received the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) Second Class for his exceptional contributions to Kenyan football.

The President also awarded Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Charles Kahariri the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (EGH) Second Class.

The 35-year-old Masai, a former 2008 Beijing Olympics 10,000m bronze medallist, became a global sensation after winning the 2007 World Junior Cross Country title in Mombasa and setting a world junior record for the 10,000m at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Although she initially placed fourth in the final with a time of 30:26.50, Masai was later elevated to the bronze medal position in 2017 after the original silver medallist, Elvan Abeylegesse, was disqualified for doping.

Masai made history by becoming the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic medal in the 10,000m. She also claimed silver at the World Cross Country Championships in 2008 (Amman), 2010 (Bydgoszcz), and 2011 (Punta Umbria), as well as a bronze in the 10,000m at the 2011 World Athletics Championships.

Still active, Masai continues to compete in road races. In 2023, she finished fourth at the Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands with a time of 2:29:59, took third place in the 10,000m at the Kenya Police Championships with 33:52.20, and won the Kärnten Läuft Half Marathon in Austria with a time of 1:11:35.

Her most recent race was the Frankfurt Marathon in October, where she finished seventh in 2:23:52.

Munro, a Canadian, founded Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) in 1987, which later led to the establishment of Mathare United Football Club in 1994.

MYSA has received significant international recognition, including two Nobel Peace Prize nominations and financial support from the Royal Dutch Football Association and the Norwegian Strømme Foundation.

The organisation won the UNEP Global 500 Award for environmental innovation in 1999, the CAF/African Youth Development Award in 2001, the Prince Claus Award in 2003, and the Laureus Sport for Good Award in 2004.