kibakiThe Government has announced that it will be auctioning 40 portraits of retired President Mwai Kibaki.
These are part of ‘unwanted’ items set to be disposed off on February 23 at the National Treasury Building on Harambee Avenue in Nairobi.
Treasury published the tender notice on Friday last week.
This comes in the wake of a debate on whether to display the President’s portrait in places of work. Siaya Governor Cornell Rasanga controversially replaced President Uhuru’s portrait with that of CORD leader Raila Odinga, and urged all CORD governors to do the same. Many saw this as a sign of disrespect to the President and the institution of the Presidency, but State House did think it was a big deal.
Spokesman Manoah Esipisu said that there is no law compelling anyone to display Presidential portraits in their premises, and that this is merely a tradition carried forward since colonial times.
On the Kibaki portraits, this is a good time for collectors to do their thing.