NAIROBI, Kenya
The coveted Fifa World Cup trophy has arrived in Kenya for the much-awaited, two-day tour. The trophy is on a world tour ahead of the World Cup to be held in Qatar in November and December.
The plane carrying the 18-carat golden trophy, which is considered the most expensive and significant in modern-day sport, touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi a few minutes after 12pm.
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for
Sports, Amina Mohamed, led government officials, including Tourism and Industrialisation
CSs Najib Balala and Betty Maina respectively, in receiving the trophy at JKIA.
Nairobi Governor Anne Kananu was also present.
With only a sitting president
or a member of a World Cup-winning squad allowed to hold the trophy, it was
kept in a glass casing with government officials allowed to pose for a photo
beside it at the airport.
Brazilian football legend
Juliano Belleti accompanied the trophy.
This is the third time the
FIFA World cup trophy is in the country.
Its maiden appearance was in
2010 when the late President Mwai Kibaki received it.
President Uhuru Kenyatta
received it in 2013, the second time it was in Kenya.
From the Airport, the trophy
headed to the State House where President Uhuru is expected to receive it. The
head of state is the only allowed to touch the trophy.
Football fans will have an
opportunity to see the trophy at the Kenyatta International Conference Center
on Friday.
The trophy will then head to
South Africa before going to Tanzania next week.
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