University lecturer Prof Edward Kisiang'ani now wants President Uhuru Kenyatta, and his deputy William Ruto acknowledged following Eliud Kipchoge's historic assault on the two-hour marathon barrier in Vienna, Austria.
Kipchoge, the world marathon record holder, on Saturday became the first man to run a 42-kilometer distance in under two hours during the INEOS 1.59 challenge.
Kisiang'ani said both the president and his deputy played a role in helping the Olympic marathon champion make history in the world of athletics.
In a tweet, the University don claimed Uhuru's Friday call to Kipchoge fired up the athlete to run the race and set the record at 1.59.40.
He said Ruto should also be thanked for taking his time to travel to Vienna to cheer and support Kipchoge who has made Kenya rise above other nations in marathon.
"As we celebrate this shaking performance by Eliud Kipchoge, we need to also thank our President Uhuru Kenyatta for that magical call and encouragement to Eliud yesterday (Friday) and our DP Ruto for traveling to Austria to cheer our hero Eliud. That is great leadership from President and DP," Kisiang'ani posted.
The president and his deputy were among the first people to congratulate Kipchoge following his exploits in Austria.
"Hearty congratulations Kipchoge. You've done it, you've made history and made Kenya proud while at it. Your win today, will inspire tens of future generations to dream big and to aspire for greatness. We celebrate you and wish you God's blessings," Uhuru tweeted.
"A blistering 1.59.40! Congratulations Eliud Kipchoge for the historic achievement in shattering the sub-two-hour barrier for the marathon; you are arguably the greatest runner of all time," Ruto posted.