The decision by Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho to rename the Old Mombasa Road as Fidel Odinga Road has been received with varied reactions among Nakuru residents, with a majority accusing him of playing politics with matters of national heritage.
They said the coastal region has very many unsung heroes and it beats logic for the Mombasa governor to assume all of them and settle for the son of a political friend.
Speaking on Thursday at a famous Kamukunji spot within the Central Business District near the Nasher bus park where residents meet and debate on major topics such as politics, they said Joho could have formulated a better way of rewarding Raila Odinga than that one.
"This is a mockery to the fallen men and women whose selflessness is still documented to date, wasn't there any other way of doing it?" wondered Faustine Lagat.
"What if other governors emulated him and started rewarding their party leader's kins, where will the future generations get our country's history from?" he added.
Mzee Zack Mburu gave an example of the Nakuru's Nyumba ya Wazee as among the most ignored places in the country yet it carries rich history about Kenya's freedom struggle.
"Some of these old wazees even regret going into the battle fields for the sake of the freedom we are enjoying today and such actions (Fidel Odinga road) makes the situation worse," he noted.
They called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to rename the road immediately or retain its previous name as a show of respect and honour to many fallen heroes that continue lying unnoticed.