Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and First Lady Lucy on Sunday congratulated the Kenyan team to the Beijing Olympics on their sterling performance at the Games.
In a joint congratulatory message to all medal winners, the president and the first lady said the team had brought pride to Kenya by bagging five gold, five silver and four bronze medals at the Games which ends Sunday.
"You have done Kenya proud by winning 14 medals which placed the country at the top of the medal table on the (African) Continent and among the best 20 sporting countries participating in this year's Olympics," they said.
Kenya's Samuel Wanjiru got the Beijing Olympics' last gold medal by winning Kenya's first ever gold in the men's marathon on Sunday, breaking the Olympic record.
The Kenyan president and the first lady congratulated Kenya's women athletes in particular over their splendid performance as they won the country's first ever gold medals at the Olympics.
"It was remarkable that Kenyan women athletes had won two gold medals. Your victory and that of your male compatriots had brought glory to the country," they said.
The five gold medalists are Pamela Chelimo in women's 800 meters, Brimin Kipruto in men's 3,000 meters steeplechase, Nancy Chibet in women's 1,500 meters, Wanjiru in marathon and Wilfred Bungei in men's 800 meters.
Those who won silvers included Asbel Kiprop in men's 1,500, Janeth Jepkoskei in women's 800 meters, Catherine Ndereba in women's marathon and Eunice Jepkorir in women's 3,000 meters steeplechase.
Bronze medalists were Alfred Kirwa in men's 800 meters, Micah Kogo in men's 10,000 meters and Richard Matelong in men's 3,000 meters steeplechase.
The government pledged 750,000 shillings (about 11,000 U.S. dollars) for gold medalists, 500,000 shillings (7,333 dollars) for silver medalists and 250,000 shillings (3,667 dollars) for bronze medalists at the Beijing Olympics.
President Kibaki said he looked forward to welcoming the team and receiving the national flag during a reception ceremony in Mombasa next Friday.
(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2008)