Kisumu Planning For A Hall of Fame
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- April 6, 2023
Hall of Fames are legacy institutions put up to celebrate the best of the best in various fields and disciplines. Some of the most world-renowned are the Rock And Roll Walk Of Fame, having inductees from various genres of music ranging from rock n” roll to Hip Hop. The Hollywood Walk Of Fame for actors, musicians, producers, and prominent figures in showbiz, and the new kid in town, the English Premier League Hall Of Fame exalting the best footballers and managers ever to grace the English top-flight league.
Kisumu intends to have a space to honor its achieving sons and daughters and put their names and pictures on a special wall at the Mama Grace Onyango Social Centre.
The idea is still at the brainstorming and exploration stage, with a public participation meeting convened by one of Kisumu’s most celebrated thespians, Akech Obat Masira, slated for the 21st of April 2023 from 2 pm at the Mama Grace Onyango Social Centre. It’s a free entry event, and all are welcome to submit their views on the best criteria possible to pick inductees to the hall of fame and any other relevant input that may help the city have a historic, well-put-together space to garland its legends in posterity.
The discussion will be moderated by another storied Kisumu son, football icon James Goro Oronge. Six panelists, Betty Okero, Lordvick Otieno, Atieno Otieno, Philip Oyoo, Rosemary Obara, and Denis Olando-Lolwe, will be on hand to give vital insights and general guidance.
Hall Of Fames are places replete with history and inspiration, magnetic spots for educational and leisure tours. If well-founded and run, the Kisumu Hall of Fame can be a source of revenue, education and pride for the city, producing hundreds of prominent personalities in various areas of expertise, talents, and leadership.
We have a rich legacy in sports, culture, the arts, politics, education, business, and social impact. I look forward to knowing how the inductees will be nominated and finally put up on the Wall of Giants. How will be the induction ceremonies? Glitz? Luo Culture themed? How often will the inductions be? Will there be post-humous nominations? I have quite some questions I would love answers to. That is why the public forum is a much-welcome idea like the wall.
I hope the organisers plan to have the meeting televised and if possible, broadcast on local radio to make it a widely shared idea. That will be a perfect start to this for-the-first-time-in-Kenya project.
Godspeed.
