Runners to market Kenya abroadBy AYUMBA AYODI in Nairobi | Friday, April 13  2012 at  17:07

State agency Brand Kenya will use Kenyan sportsmen and women heading to the London Olympic Games to market the country before and during the summer games.

Also targeted to help promote Kenya’s sporting heritage are past Olympic medallists, who will be based at Kenya House at East Thames, 2.3km from London’s Olympic Stadium.

A special media centre has been created at Kenya House where journalists seeking interviews with Kenyan sports men and women will be directed to.

Athletes will help direct traffic to Kenya House for interviews by replying “meet us at Kenya House” whenever they are asked “what next?’ by journalists at the games.

Speaking during Kenya House stakeholders breakfast meeting Thursday, Brand Kenya CEO Mary Kimonye said they were liaising with the National Olympic Committee of Kenya to run the programme.

“One of our objectives is to use the brand value of Kenyan runners and sporting history to market Kenya,” said Kimonye.

“We are already working together with Kenya Olympic Games Steering Committee on the programme.”

Kimonye said besides Team Kenya campaign, planned to start locally and in London next month, they intended to train local athletes on how to handle questions from the media and visitors.

“We will also have sessions for them on financial planning and etiquette,” added Kimonye.

At Kenya House, officials will take visitors through Kenya’s past, present and future, focusing on the country’s top exports, brands and athletes.

Kenya House, which has started operation, will officially open on July 27 at a cost of $5.5 million (Sh470 million).

Kimonye said there will be 10 spaces each for public and private sector operators at Kenya House, each costing at least $60,300 (Sh5 million).

Information and Communication PS Bitange Ndemo, who received a $302,000 (Sh25 million) donation from the Kenya Commercial Bank CEO, Martin Oduor-Otieno, said the government has released $326,000 (Sh27 million) to pay rent for Kenya House.