Olympic silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot was on Monday, August 16, promoted to the rank of Senior Superintendent of prisons (SSP) by the Commissioner-General of Kenya Prisons Wycliffe Ogalo.
His spectacular performance at the Tokyo Olympics clocking 3:29.01 to bag a silver medal a drove president Uhuru Kenyatta to direct the Commissioner-General to promote the world champion.
Before, Cheruiyot was an Inspector General at the corrections facility.
“I have been directed by His Excellency, the Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta that owing to your sterling performance in the just concluded Tokyo Olympic Games in which you won a silver medal in the 1500m race, that in appreciation of the same that gave honour and glory to our Nation you were instantly promoted to the rank of Senior Superintendent of Prisons. Hongera!” wrote Ogalo.
The silver medalist was enlisted into the Prisons department in 2015 because of his athletic prowess. However, his inclusion in Kenya’s team came late after he was defeated at the trials, where he finished fourth. This was his first loss in over two years.
Cheruiyot’s promotion comes together with a catch prize of ksh750,000 because the silver medal wonin Tokyo. President Kenyatta had earlier announced a cash prize of Ksh1 million, Ksh750,000 and Ksh500,000 for the gold, silver and bronze medalist respectively.
All other athletes who participated and did not win any medal have not been forgotten as well. As the state announced a ksh200,000 token to all athletic participants, including the paralympics team and all officials in the Tokyo Olympics.
Kenya topped the medal charts in Africa with four gold. four silver and two bronze medals.