Just hours before Thursday’s elevation of Eldoret to Kenya’s fifth city, statues celebrating the town’s athletic prowess became the centre of a heated debate.

Social media platforms buzzed with sharp criticism as photos of these athlete statues, prominently placed at key intersections, ignited a storm.

The monuments were unveiled to give Eldoret a true status as City of Champions, but the planned showcase failed after it ran into controversy with keyboard warriors claiming they were embarrassing a town that hosted world beaters in athletics.