SPEECH BY H.E. MRS.

MARGARET KENYATTA, FIRST LADY

OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING A LUNCHEON HOSTED
IN HONOUR OF ELITE ATHLETES AT STATE HOUSE NAIROBI
ON 20TH MAY, 2014 AT 1PM.
FELLOW ATHLETES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Ladies and gentlemen, as the famous Chinese saying goes, a
journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
Indeed, our Beyond Zero campaign journey started in o!ember
with a bris" wal" that turned into a jog, and, e!entually bro"e into
a run.
Before we reali#ed it, my team and I co!ered a total of $%&
"ilometres in running, starting o' with () "ilometres at our *rst
training camp in +agana, ,,- "ilometres in Iten and another &-
"ilometres in +agana .wo.
/nd in between, we completed 0, "ilometres at the inaugural
1irst Lady2s 3alf 4arathon, and another %0 "ilometres at the
5irgin 4oney London 4arathon.
1or some of us who ha!en2t been e6actly world7beating athletes
that 8enya is !ery famous for, running hasn2t been easy.
But through determination, team spirit, perse!erance and support
from the people of 8enya, we were able to ma"e it all the way.
4ost importantly, we were inspired by the fact that we had to do
something to stop the needless yet pre!entable maternal and
early childhood deaths.
8enyan athletes are our greatest ambassadors and I call on Brand
8enya and 8enya .ourism Board to partner more with these great
men and women to mar"et 8enya globally.
.hese athletes ha!e sel9essly pushed themsel!es to 9y the
8enyan 9ag high and they ha!e done so in a commendable
fashion.
/s a country, we must hold our athletes in higher esteem and I
urge all go!ernment agencies concerned to partner with these
champions, past and present to gi!e the world a better image of
our great nation.
.o the athletes, continue to stri!e to represent 8enya at e!ery
opportunity : be worthy ambassadors of our nation. /t all times,
wear the 8enyan spirit and 9ag with pride, be symbols of a united
a 8enya, a prosperous and growing 8enya, a country we can all
proudly call home.
/s you compete throughout the world, I urge you to run for a
cause, lend your brands to worthy causes, put to use your
!aluable global images to good : support your brothers and
sisters bac" home.
.he greatest compliment to a ation is strong, healthy citi#ens.
;oin me in running for the sur!i!al of our mothers and children
and ultimately for the health of 8enya.
I2d li"e to than" my sta', the coaching team headed by 8enyan
marathon legend 4r <ouglas =a"iihuri, our medical team and
physiotherapists who played a huge and sometimes frustrating
role in "noc"ing us into shape for the London 4arathon.
.han" you 4r ;apheth 8aria"im, our lead physiotherapist that
most of us dreaded to see when our muscles were in e6cruciating
pain.
4y appreciation to my security team which must now be one of
the *ttest around.
3igh Commission in London, and also to the organisers of the
London 4arathon, led by chairman +ir ;ohn <. +purling and >ace
<irector, 4r 3ugh Brasher.
/ special than" you to +tandard Chartered ?roup, London, for
hosting us to a reception ahead of the London 4arathon and for
belie!ing in our mission.
.o the thousands of 8enyans in London, asanteni sana for your
support. @ou "ept us going and whene!er we felt our legs were
tiring, the mere sight of 8enyans wa!ing our country2s 9ag along
the route re7energised us and we are !ery grateful.
=e indeed had a great team, and while *nishing the London
4arathon was the clima6 of our training, it was just the beginning
of another long journey to deli!er better medical care for our
mothers and children.
Aro!iding mobile clinics in each county will be the *rst step in our
long journey towards reducing these maternal and early childhood
deaths.
.hrough support from all of you, I2m glad to announce that so far,
the Beyond Zero campaign has been able to raise o!er 8sh ,--
million.
.his amount will go a long way towards reali#ing our dream for
pro!iding the mobile clinics. .he *rst of which we will be rolling
out in early ;une.
I2d li"e to whole7heartedly than" all the organisations and
indi!iduals that generously contributed to our cause and assure
you that your money will be put to good use for the future of our
mothers and children.
Aurchasing the mobile clinics will not be the end of the Beyond
Zero campaign.
.hrough Beyond Zero, we will also loo" into constructing
maternity shelters at county hospitals that will help needy women
identi*ed through Beyond Zero Butreach Arogrammes.
=e also need to maintain and sustain the mobile clinics and it is
for this reason that I would li"e to announce that the 1irst Lady2s
3alf 4arathon will be an annual e!ent with proceeds going
towards sustaining the mobile clinics that we will purchase, and
also for retaining the sta' that will wor" in these clinics.
I also urge the County 1irst Ladies to come up with annual fund7
raising e!ents to help in sustaining the mobile clinics at their
respecti!e counties.
I would also li"e to than" the media for your continued support,
and to also congratulate our gallant athletes who continue to 9y
the 8enyan 9ag high.
I was inspired to see 8enya win both the men2s and the women2s
titles at this year2s London 4arathon through world record holder
=ilson 8ipsang and world champion Cdnah 8iplagat.
@ou inspired us to chase after you and ma"e it to the *nish line.
I ta"e this opportunity to wish our athletes well as they tra!el this
wee" to the Bahamas for the inaugural I//1 =orld >elays
Championships and also as they prepare for the Commonwealth
?ames in ?lasgow in ;uly.
+pecial than"s to 3is C6cellency the Aresident and my entire
family for belie!ing in me, for o'ering me !aluable support and
for bearing with the long periods I was away in training.
.o the go!ernment oDcials, led by Cabinet +ecretaries, Arincipal
+ecretaries, 4embers of Aarliament, ?o!ernors2 and leaders who
joined me during the 1irst Lady2s 3alf 4arathon, and also during
the *nal days of preparation in London. /santeni sanaE
I wish I could indi!idually than" each and e!ery one of you today
for the support and energy that you ha!e gi!en Beyond Zero.
But "indly accept my collecti!e appreciation for your "ind
gestures.
4ay ?od bless you all and bless our belo!ed country, 8enya.
.han" you.