The ceremony was organized by the Matale Keppetipola Foundation.

The statue was built to commemorate this prominent leader of the 1818 Uva-Wellassa Uprising against the British colonial government. Rajapaksa Wickramasekera Mudiyanselage Monarawila Keppetipola, more widely known as Keppetipola Disawe was a Disawe, a high ranking official under the rule of King Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe and later under the British Administration in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon).

He was a prominent leader of the Uva rebellion of 1818 after he joined the rebels whom he was sent to suppress by the British. The rebellion was defeated by the British, and Keppetipola Disawe along with several other leaders of the rebellion were found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death.

He is well known for the exceptional courage that he showed at the moment of his execution, and is now a national hero of Sri Lanka.

Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, State Minister Wasantha Aluwihare, Deputy Minister Lakshman Wasantha Perera, Governor of the Central Province – Surangani Ellawala, Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayaka, Mayor  Mohamad Hilmi, Y.K. Sinha- the High Commissioner of India and others participated at this event.