Sunday, 8th May 2022:The Government has identified adventure, hiking, and mountaineering experiences as key catalysts in the recovery of tourism businesses in Kenya.
Kenya is well placed to tap into these niche segments thanks to the diverse opportunities and attractions found across the destination. The foundation of Kenya is known as a leader in Safari also enhances the potential of the destination being regarded as top in adventure tourism.
Speaking during a hiking expedition at Mt. Longonot, CS for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala encouraged Kenyans to embrace and take up hiking, mountaineering, travelers, and other adventure experiences for fitness and wellness. He also noted that adventure tourism is one of the fastest-growing experiences in the world today with travelers looking for life-changing experiences that suit them.
“Mountaineering and hiking have the potential to improve our tourism numbers because today’s traveler is looking for immersive and engaging opportunities. We must be ready to demonstrate to both domestic and international visitors that we have more than Beach and Safari experiences. People are today also conscious about their health and hiking is a good fitness and outdoor activity. I encourage Kenyans to visit some of the mountaineering and hiking destinations in the country. They can be a pocket-friendly option for many people because they include day trips which are easily accessible,” said CS Balala.
He added the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife would be working towards improving the visitor experience and putting a spotlight on attractions like Mt.Longonot ensuring that visitors earmark them on their bucket lists “ We have earmarked the development and showcase of these experiences to propel the recovery of the sector. We are working with the partners and experience owners in the industry to fully enhance and market these attractions in Kenya ” added the CS.
Dubbed “Sheer Adventure” destination, Mt. Longonot, rises from the floor of the Great Rift Valley. The Mountain is located within the mount Longonot National Park which is one of the many fascinating, yet least visited, attractions of Kenya.
With its cool climate, lush greenery, and stunning views of the Rift Valley, Mt Longonot offers a variety of trails for hikers of all fitness levels. It is also home to wildlife like zebra giraffe grant gazelles and over 110 bird species making it a birding paradise.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director General John Waweru noted that Mt Longonot National Park is part of the rich ecosystem in Naivasha which includes Hells Gate, L. Naivasha, and many facilities that are ready to host visitors in the area.
He assured visitors of a safe and enjoyable experience at the park which is also home to several campsites. The hike at Mt Longonot was also part of the CS Balala’s preparation for an expedition at MT Kenya in mid-May 2022.
The expedition will aim at re-positioning Mt. Kenya as one of the key iconic adventure experience facilities in Africa as well as raise funds towards improving the visitor experience. Those who will be accompanying the CS are Magical Kenya Destination Ambassador Eliud Kipchoge and sponsors who include Safaricom M-Pesa, Visa, Huawei, KCB, and EABL among others.
Hiking and adventure destinations that travelers can explore in Kenya include the trails at Karura Forest, Menengai crater, Mt Elgon, Mt Ololokwe, travelers, and Ngong hills among others. These destinations offer different experiences and therefore should be on the list of all visitors
Wildlife And Domestic Animals At A Field In The Mara
Daniel Sayialel swept his probing eyes over the rolling grasslands of Maasai Mara in search of a missing piece. He found none-at least for now.
Satisfied that nothing seemed out of place, Sayialel turned to a gathering of his kin and called the meeting to order. They were here for the occasional community briefing on conservation.
“These meetings help us keep track of threats facing our resources. If there are any, we discuss and plan how to solve them,” said Sayialel, who is the community liaison officer at the Enoonkishu Conservancy in southern Kenya.
It is for a good reason. Land sub-division and privatization have been threatening the wildlife-rich Maasai Mara for years, according to the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA).
For instance, there were about eight group ranches buffering the Maasai Mara national reserve but nearly all of them have been subdivided, a trend that is not only threatening indigenous communities but also wildlife, MMWCA officials said.
“Community land is being transformed into private land by developers who are swarming the Mara. If this continues, families living here will have no homes and nowhere to graze their livestock in a very short period of time,” said Daniel Sopia, the chief executive officer at MMWCA.
Investigations within the Mara region indicate that most of the privatized land has already been fenced off to pave way for its development into agriculture plantations and real estate, blocking wildlife migration corridors and community grazing routes.
According to Nicholas Oguge, the environmental policy and director at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP), University of Nairobi, there are five wildlife migration corridors in the Mara landscape.
These include the Mara-Serengeti, Mara-Loita, the greater Amboseli, the Manya-Tarangire, and Nairobi National Park-Kaputiei migration corridors. But four of them are almost extinct, due to land encroachment.
In some regions like the Loita plains in southern Kenya, the entire wildlife migration corridor has disappeared.
“The iconic wildebeest migration is a competitive advantage we have. Nowhere else in the world is there that number of large mammals moving together. They have completely formed this ecosystem. If you remove them, the Mara ecosystem is gone,” said Oguge.
Oguge estimates the value of services the Kenya Mara ecosystem gives to communities to be about US$ 6.5 billion (about Kshs. 762 billion) annually. This could all be lost by 2050 if the current encroachment continues, according to a study investigating the economic value of East Africa’s natural assets.
It recommends speedy action to restore the region’s conservation areas. A growing number of communities in Kenya are responding to this call by working as groups instead of individual landowners, according to Sophia.
MMCA has identified about 15,000 landowners who have pooled their individual land units into conservancies for livestock and wildlife conservation. They have then registered and leased the conservancies for tourism threats.
For these efforts, the landowners are earning over US$ 7.5 million (about Ksh. 879 million) annually from leases of up to 25 years.
“Tourism investors pay for leases to the landowners and also to cover the costs of managing the conservancies. With such a steady stream of income, locals do not see the need to sell or subdivide their land anymore,” said Sophia.
Limiting land sales is reducing stress levels among endangered wildlife because they can move freely within the rangelands. As a result, numbers in previously endangered ecosystems are rising, according to senior sergeant Francis Dapash.
Dapash, a ranger at Enoonkishu Conservancy said the increased numbers of wildlife making a comeback include elephants, buffaloes, and other grazers.
Due to the growing competition for grazing spaces, some have been straying into crop farms within the Mara ecosystem and causing massive food losses, he said.
Responding to the growing conflict with wildlife and worsening climate change, crop farmers are switching from food growing and converting their land into conservation glades, a trend that MMCA officials confirmed is picking up pace.
According to Sayialel, crop growing is an important economic activity within the Mara region because it boosts communities’ food resilience. But in the past few years, crop farming has been proving difficult because of prolonged dry spells and worsening floods.
Besides, crop growing within the Mara region restricts the free movement of livestock and wildlife because the animals are drawn to anything that can satisfy their appetite for green fodder.
“Crop farming and animal keeping cannot work together because they are always in conflict. But a uniform system like conservation ensures peaceful coexistence while also opening up money-making opportunities,” said Sayialel.
At his Enoonkishu conservancy, income opportunities like regular monthly payments from tourism collections and land leasing have opened up since both crop farmers and herders embraced a uniform land tenure system.
While the system has employed over 2,000 locals within the conservancies, landowners are also able to secure loans from financial institutions and obtain school bursaries for their children.
Sayialel estimates that within Enoonkishu, there are over 10,000 acres of land that are under crop farming. But his community, working with MMWCA, has been able to convert over 8,000 acres of land into conservation glades.
According to him, this system is also helping in restoring disappearing wildlife migration corridors because there is no longer a need to fence the land. He said that rare wildlife species like the big five and the African wild dog are now common in places where they had disappeared.
But is converting cropland into conservation glades a threat to food security?
“I do not think so. The Mara community is the biggest food market in the country. When we pay for food grown elsewhere in Kenya, farmers are able to use this money to buy farm inputs and invest in smart innovations,” said Sayialel.
Meanwhile, county government officials from the Mara region said they have a memorandum of understanding with MMWCA that recognizes the institution’s efforts in conserving the Mara, and working with communities.
But Bernard Leshinga, a local herder said the government is not doing enough in providing communities with extension services. For instance, herders here face repeated outbreaks of diseases like trypanosomiasis, where getting treatment for their livestock remains a big challenge.
“We need more than money because money alone cannot treat our animals when they get diseases from wildlife. Let the government bring vaccination services to us and we shall be a happy community,” said Leshinga.
Twenty-two women’s youth semi-final bouts were held inon the eighth competition day of the ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan today. Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan, and Thailand won contests on Day8 and all of their winners advanced to the finals in Amman. Uzbekistan’s Aziza Zokirova, India’s Tamanna, and, Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Baidukova delivered the best performances on Day8.
Altogether 355 boxers from 21 nations are attending the ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships in Amman. India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen sent their best talents to the ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships.
The finals are scheduled to be held on March 13 and 14 after the rest in the ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships. An impressive number of 51 female and male champions will be crowned in the competition, 26 junior boxers, and 25 youth athletes. Boxers who were born in 2004 and 2005 will be eligible to attend the ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships. The younger talents from the 2006 and 2007 age groups can compete in the junior part of the championships in Jordan.
Tamanna and Bakhtiyorova are the finalists at the light flyweight
India’s Tamanna has plenty of international experience longer and after three years in the national team, she is one of their best boxers. She met with a Kazakh southpaw, Anita Adisheva who claimed bronze at the Dubai 2021 ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships. Following the first tactical round, Tamanna caught her Kazakh rival with a tough shot and the referee counted Adisheva.
The Kazakh boxer has done more risk in the third round and changed to a more attacking style but Tamanna had the skills to win their contest. Uzbekistan’s Robiyakhon Bakhtiyorova was a silver medallist in the last ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships seven months ago and she can prepare to her next final after her success over Jordan’s Balqees Al-Ameer.
Tomiris Myrzakul is Kazakhstan’s first female youth finalist in Amman
Thailand’s second semi-finalist was Kamonchanok Chupradit who worked from a longerfor distance against Kazakhstan’s Tomiris Myrzakul. Both boxers have experiences from previous ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships and their technical level was the same. Myrzakul moved forward while Chupradit countered her and finished the first round with effective shots.
The Kazakh ruled the middle of the ring against the smaller Thai southpaw and both landed nearly the same number of punches in the second round. Myrzakul was slightly better than the Thai girl in the third round and won their semi-final by split decision in Amman which means she is Kazakhstan’s first female youth finalist.
Fozilova eliminated Renu in Amman
India’s Renu and Uzbekistan’s Munavvar Fozilova both controlled their previous contests in the ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships and had to wait for a few days for their next challenge in Amman. Renu is more experienced on the international stage than her Uzbek opponent but following the tactical first round, Fozilova surprised her in the second period. The referee counted Renu but the gong saved the Indian girl at the end of the second round therefore, the final verdict was strongly dependent on their performance in the third. Renu tried to use her long hands in the bout of the southpaw boxers but Fozilova’s pressure decided their flyweight (52kg) semi-final.
Baidukova continued her winning path in Amman Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Baidukova won the Dubai 2021 ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships and the Commonwealth of Independent States Junior Games in the recent seven months. She joined to the youth age group in January and used her excellent style of boxing in the first round against another tall boxer, India’s Tanisha Lamba.
The Kazakh southpaw landed several single right-handed jabs and controlled their contest at the bantamweight (54kg). Baidukova kept her focus until the last bell and she used not only her longer hands but he excellent defensive skills to beat the Indian.
Sarsenbek pressurized her Indian opponent in the semi-finals
Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek had the same road in 2021 as Viktoriya Baidukova, she won the international junior events one by one. The 16-year-old Kazakh competes at the youth featherweight (57kg) in Amman where she could not expect an easy semi-final against India’s Prachi.
The smaller Kazakh had the simple tactical task today, to move closer to the Indian and land punches from short range but Prachi had good footwork to avoid her biggest shots. Sarsenbek continued her pressure in the third round and her energetic style of boxing delivered for her a place in the final.
Natnicha Chongprongklang is Thailand’s first finalist in Amman Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang was bronze medallist at the Fujairah 2019 ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships and she was nameda named the best boxer of the recent Thai Youth National Championships. The Thai talent will be turning 18 this year and she proved her excellent technical repertoire in the first round against Uzbekistan’s Rukhshona Uktamova.
The Thai southpaw landed single jabs and she combined her counter-attacks with quality footwork in the first and second rounds. Natnicha not only has a beautiful face but she has impressive technical skills while the Uzbek tried to reach her with strong shots. Uktamova gave in everything in the final round but the Thai had enough advantage to win their semi-final bout in Amman.
Uzbekistan’s Mukhlisa Tokhirova advanced to the final of lightweight Uzbekistan’s Mukhlisa Tokhirova is one of the most experienced youth boxers in their team who returned to the international events and with a strong mission, to win the lightweight (60kg) in Amman.
Tokhirova faced Kyrgyzstan’s Youth National Champion Baktygul Kurmanbekova in the semi-finals and started the opening round better than her neighboring opponent. She was supported by coach Mr. Timur Akhbayev in the recent period and her technical skills are better than in 2021. The Kyrgyz talent was able to keep fighting until the last gong and earned a bronze medal in Jordan’s capital. Tokhirova’s final opponent will be India’s Shaheen Gill who turned back her semi-final against Kazakhstan’s Aruza Balgabek.
India and Uzbekistan represent the finals of the light welterweight India’s Ravina was highly confident in her semi-final against Jordan’s Nour Asad and decided the bout very quickly in the first round. The Indian light welterweight (63kg) boxer started the bout with energetic attacks and she landed lethal shots to finish the semi-final after one minute.
Ravina will be meeting in the final of the weight class with Uzbekistan’s experienced Sitora Bakhodirova who bowed out Mongolia’s lone female semi-finalist, Uranchimeg Anujin. The 16-year-old Uzbek controlled the first round of their bout and landed the powerful shots in the second to win the semi-final by RSC.
Swedish and Priyanka stopped their rivals at the welterweight Kazakhstan’s Bakyt Seidish is a well-experienced boxer on the international stage who had to face in the semi-finals of the welterweight (66kg) with Uzbekistan’s Feruza Alijonova who is new in the national team. Alijonova had experiences from the Uzbek national events but she was not able to stop the Kazakh attacks in the second and third rounds.
Following the standing counts, the referee stopped their semi-final and confirmed Seidish’s RSC triumph. India’s Priyanka is also an experienced boxer who stopped her Jordanian opponent, Wajd Al-Majali in the second semi-final of the category. The local girl is the daughter of their head coach and began boxing only a few months ago but she loves the sport and claimed the bronze medal in Amman on home soil.
Aziza Zokirova defeated her main rival already in the semi-finals Uzbekistan’s defending ASBC Asian Youth Champion Aziza Zokirova is a fantastic talent who arrived toin Amman to achieve her second gold medal after 2021. Zokirova is AIBA Youth World Champion Jakhongir Zokirov’s sister had a strong rival in the semi-finals of the light middleweight (70kg) but she managed to control the first round against India’s Pranjal Yadav.
The Uzbek was better in the second round and she landed her best combinations in the third when Zokirova decided their contest. It is not an easy task to win a bout against an Indian boxer by RSC but Zokirova made it happen and she can meet with Kazakhstan’s Gaukhar Shaybekova for the gold medal.
Muskan, Bazhbenova, and Satimbayeva stopped their opponents India’s Muskan is an experienced boxer in their national team who has the clear target in Amman to win the middleweight (75kg). The Indian started slowly against Jordan’s Rasha Al-Shatti but she dominated the second round to win their contest by RSC.
Muskan will now face for the title with Kazakhstan’s Aida Saribarova and that contest could be an anticipated fight between the two promising stars. Kazakhstan’s Kamil Bazhbenova had difficulties in the first round against India’s Sneha but she returned to the business strongly in the second round and following the injury of her opponent, she won the bout. Bazhbenova will be facing for the title of the youth light heavyweight (81kg) with Uzbekistan’s Oltinoy Satimbayeva who stopped Jordan’s Layan Qubaj.
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Milton Nyakundi, Football stakeholder and Lead Consultant and Managing Partner at Minord Media Limited
The country and the world are now fully seized of the decision by the FIFA Council Bureau to suspend Kenya from international football following a meeting held on Thursday, 24th February 2022.
Whereas it is frustrating and disappointing for the decision to have been reached in the circumstances and in spite of despite efforts by Sports CS Amina Mohammed to engage with FIFA on how best to deal with the situation of our game, which fact FIFA acknowledges in their communique about the decision against Kenya.
Milton Nyakundi, a Football stakeholder has maintained that unequivocal support for the CS and government on the decision to invoke Section 54 of the Sports Act in appointing the FKF Caretaker Committee remains unchanged because he firmly believes in that move as having been necessary and timely as Nyakundi maintains that due process was followed as provided for in the law.
Further, he states, for the record, that he firmly holds that the decision by FIFA was unnecessary but he avers that whilst respecting their views of the matters at hand and recognizing their right to take the position of FKF suspension.
Nyakundi however has addressed two pertinent issues as follows:
1. Is there a conflict between Kenyan law and the FIFA Statutes?
2. What happens when Kenyan law is violated by FKF officials and if the application the application of Kenyan law in such event undermines FIFA Statutes.
Nyakundi says that it must never be lost that it is not Kenyan football under trial for violating the law but the former officials who must then face the full force of the law and as they do so they must never hold the game at ransom as a way of blackmailing the government as has been the case. The Veteran sports journalist says that the country must deal with issues to get the country out of this mess.
Is there a conflict between the Kenyan law and the FIFA Statutes?
Its however confirmed that there is, certainly, no conflict between Kenyan law and the FIFA Statutes but there has been a consistent misconstruction and misunderstanding when it comes to interpretation by those who misread the pecking order in applying the legal instruments and how to navigate instances of perceived conflict.
According to Milton, he takes look at specific provisions of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the FIFA Statutes demonstrate that fact and the same principles are upheld, generally, by the Sports Act 2013 as highlighting that,
1. Article 5(1)(b) of FIFA Statutes speaks to FIFA promoting friendly relations.
2. Articles 2, 3, 4 & 5 speak of the values FIFA stands for; which values and principles are similar to what the Kenyan people espouse for themselves under Article 10 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Similarly, Rule 8 (1) (q) of the FIFA Forward Regulations speaks to FIFA’s zero tolerance to corruption and other good governance shortcomings, as provided for by Article 73 of the Constitution of Kenya.
3. Article 8 (2) of FIFA Statutes provides for Normalization Committee, similar to Section 54 of the Sports Act.
Milton has said that the suggestion that there is conflict is a misguided interpretation of the impugned laws and now will let Kenyan law be violated by officials of the FKF and whether application of Kenyan law conflicts with FIFA.
Its however clear that FIFA, just like the Kenyan Government, does not condone the violation of any law, and therefore in the present case, ”there is no doubt that FIFA would allow due process to take the course and those found culpable by the criminal justice system to be held accountable.” said Milton Nyakundi, Football stakeholder.
Nyakundi added that “It should be borne in mind that as long as the due process has been followed as provided by the Kenyan law, as has been the case thus far, nobody (individual or corporate) can claim or suggest/insinuate anything to the contrary.”
What is the Way forward?
FIFA, having acknowledged that there are issues with the former officials who have integrity questions and accountability shortcomings, including corruption and bad governance; has demonstrated in the last paragraph of their letter of 24th February that they are ready and willing to engage with government authorities.
Nyakundi now has Accordingly, proposed that,
1. The government, through the Ministry of Sports, and FIFA recognizes the imperative need for collaboration born out of strategic, open, and focused engagement with Kenyan football at the heart of the negotiations.
2. Both government and FIFA drop any conditions as evidence of goodwill and determination to resolve the impasse, which position should be premised on the appreciation that both parties are basing their decision on their respective legal instruments which are not in conflict.
3. This constructive engagement must be geared towards ensuring that the aforementioned congruent provisions of Kenyan law and the FIFA Statutes are invoked to provide the way forward.
4. That the engagements between government and FIFA should make way for the establishment of a Normalization Committee, with representation by government and FIFA, as provided by the aforementioned provisions of Kenyan law and FIFA Statutes.
5. The NC must then engage with the stakeholders to have an agreed roadmap for the situation to be normalized within the strict timelines provided for under Kenyan laws which take precedence over any other law that does not form part of international law or treaty/convention as determined by the High Court application for Judicial Review No. 100 of 2020.
6. The roadmap must also include the process of aligning the FKF Constitution with the Sports Act and the FIFA before having all-inclusive elections by the Sports Act and the FIFA Standard Electoral Code to usher in a new regime as soon as possible.
In conclusion, Milton Nyakundi, Football stakeholder and veteran sports pundit and FKF President hopeful, has urged
I urge that everybody stays calm and desists from the temptation to pass the buck or blame each other over this situation, it is not time to attack anyone over anything they may have done or failed to do as a section of football leaders have attempted to do; it’s time to rally behind the government and FIFA as they embark on efforts to restore sanity in the FKF.
Sobriety and appreciation of the centrality of the best interests of Kenyan football in all this are not optional because that is what will then lead parties to compromise (without undermining the rule of law) for the good of the game.
Disability is not inability, the story of Paralympian, Wilson Bii, is one of the successes despite his visual impairment.
A resident of Kapsaos village within Kericho County, the visually impaired athlete with over ten medals, has exemplary track records in World Paralympic Games and is not about to quit, as he stretches his physical abilities to the bones.
Bii, 34, is a visually impaired athlete, who competes in the T11-1500m and T11-5000m categories and qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, after attaining an impressive qualifying performance in the Tunis World Para-Athletics World Grand Prix in March last year. He won gold in the men’s category T11- 5000m and silver in the T11-1500m.
The same year in April, Bii competed in Morocco Paralympics World qualifier trials in the same categories and bagged gold in the T11-5000m and silver in the T11-1500m, where he ran alongside able-bodied athletes.
In 2019 the visually impaired athlete competed in the Morocco Paralympics world qualifier trials in the same categories and nailed a gold medal in the T11-5000m and bronze in the T11-1500m.
Bii adds that he failed to bring any medal in the two categories during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games held in August, as the brutal heat took a heavy toll on his performance.
He was featured in the 2016 Paralympic Games held in Rio- de- Janeiro, Brazil, securing a bronze medal in the T11-5000m and failed to win any medal in the 1,500m as the guide he ran with at the time, was nursing an injury.
Wilson Bii (on the right) gesturing as he shows off a few of his medals that he has won from International Paralympic competitions with his guide Robert Tarus (on the left).
The father of one was born normal, but his life took a somersault in April 2001, when a vehicle he was traveling in was involved in a head-on collision at the Ikonge area in Nyamira County.
He went into a coma for three days following the serious injuries he sustained, his left eye popped out of its socket, he sustained a fracture on his right arm and suffered chest injuries which saw him spend a month at a Kericho hospital. Bii left the hospital without his sight, a condition that took him along to accept.
At the time, he was only 13 years old. “It never dawned on me that at a point in my life, I would one day lose my sight. I could not comprehend how I would go about my life without my eyes and at some point, I even contemplated suicide. It was a towering moment for me when I left the hospital without my sight. I was very stressed because discrimination and stigma was the order of the day and I endured a lot of this because I felt worthless, and a nobody in my family,” he says.
He accredits his outstanding performance in his athletics career to his former teacher, Mr. Tanki Boxer, of Ole Sankale Boarding Primary School in Narok County, who was informed of his condition and made a visit to his home at Kapsaos village within Kericho County.
“I met Mr. Boxer who was a teacher at Ole Sankale Boarding Primary School in 2001, it is a special school, but I did not see myself studying. My love was athletics and it was he who saw my talent in this sport. I did not accept my condition, and when he came to visit me at our home, he did encourage me to go back to school while revealing that other students at the school were visually impaired, and were taking their classes using Braille. I did not accept his proposal, but he, later on, agreed after he asked if I was good at running, to which I responded in the affirmative,” says Bii.
He discloses that in January 2002, Boxer informed him of some school games competition which was to take place in Kisumu which he took part in and performed well.
“I performed very well in the 100m, 400m, and 800m race categories as well as long jump and shot put. I was proud of my performance in the school games, but I still did not have the urge to continue with my education. I realized my future was bright in sports and made a decision to pursue a career in athletics. Mr. Boxer told me to continue with my education but the situation at home was wanting; where my two siblings and I were under the care of our elderly grandmother, who at the time could not afford to raise school fees for all of us. Mr. Boxer informed me that I would get a bursary from the Municipal County and concluded that it was important that I continue with my education but I did not still agree to this,” reiterates Bii.
In 2003, Mr. Boxer visited Bii again at his home and convinced him to take part in a race competition in Nakuru and was later enrolled in Kericho to study Braille at Kipchimchim Hostels, but he discontinued his schooling and went back home because he had not made up his mind to go back to school.
Boxer encouraged him again to continue with his education and Bii opened up to him but he was worried that he would not be able to raise his school fees, to which he was informed that a sponsor was eagerly waiting to pay his school fees, and to this he accepted. In March 2004 he was enrolled back to school, in class four.
“The reason behind me accepting to go back to school was not that I was interested in education, but my first exam I attained 256 marks to my surprise and I realized I was capable of learning Braille. On my second exam, I attained 331 marks, and on reaching class six, school fees, the fear of not pursuing my secondary school education arose. I knew I would not have school fees paid, so I settled to pursue talent in athletics, and being in the school would help me refine my skills in running to secure my future,” says Bii.
“My classmates taunted me that I would never get to be successful if I failed to go on with my education, but this did not deter me to go after my dreams of one day representing Kenya in the Olympic Games, and there was no turning back after I heard of Henry Wanyoike who was a celebrated Paralympian at the time, and I knew I wanted to walk in his footsteps,” adds Bii.
After completing class eight in 2008, Bii moved to Kericho where he started training to perfect his athletic skills.
In July 2009, he took part in the Paralympic National Trials that were held at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani in Nairobi, where qualifying athletes were to take part in the All-Africa Games, where he took part in the T11-5000M race and emerged third.
The competition which was to take place in Ethiopia was canceled canceled canceled, dashing all his hopes of making his international debut into the Paralympic games.
Lady luck smiled again and this time Bii made his first appearance at the 2012 London Paralympic Games, but unfortunately, his joy was short-lived as he did not manage to complete the T11-5,000m race because of an ankle injury that he was nursing.
Bii has a guide, Robert TarusTaurus, who has been training with him for the last eight years. Visual impaired sprinters race with a guide, who is attached to them with a band at the wrist or hand.
“My guide Taurus plays an important role to my races, he provides everything a runner with a vision has, he tells me how far they are on track to where they are and what I must do to win. I thank him for being by my side all these years,” says Bii.
This year, Bii who trains two times every day at 5.40am5.40 am to 7 am and 4.30pm4.30 pm to 5.30 pm is currently training for the Dubai 2022 World Para Athletic Championships, slated for next month.
“My focus is to do well and set myself up for future successes in international races. I can’t predict what will happen but I will trust in God. My training is also going on well and I am mentally and physically ready for the competition,” adds Bii.
Betika has today 20th Feb 2021 officially handed over the Kayole Calvary grounds to the residents of Kayole and Komarok after a challenging four months of rehabilitation.
The ground-breaking ceremony that was held late last year, saw senior officials from all sides of the partnership oversee the handover of the grounds to the contractor. The field, which will be in use by over 112 sports teams, including volleyball, football, netball, is a home ground for 35 Eastlands community-based teams.
Some of the teams Consisted of; Kayole starlet, Jaba United, Club JoJo and
Young state and were all presented with training kits, Soccer Balls, and uniforms.
Joshua Sakwa who is a coach congratulated Betika for the Initiative taken by the firm in promoting Kenyan soccer. Talent can grow well through initiatives like this he added. The youth teams were drawn from Kayole and Komarock. ”I call upon Betika to continue with the good work. Even an initiative can be done to ensure that the ground facility is maintained to grow more talent The ground has been able to train more coaches, referees, promote talent in this constituency,” said Benjamin Gathiru Mwangi, Embakasi Central MP.
He further added that in the past the ground could not conduct any events but right now things are getting better. Youth talent needs to be grown more. Sport is a uniting thing and this is good work, Betika can also build more grounds onwards and congratulate Betika for their good work.
”It is a great milestone and honors the ground has well-fitted drainage and the ground will still be worked on the gates, where the audience can pay 20 shillings during entrance for the ground maintenance purpose.
As Betika we will look to still work on other grounds too, as we are also supporting Betika Super League.” alludes Betika CEO Mr. Nicholas Mruttu.
The ‘Betika Na Community Initiative’ has now grown into a massive movement with a huge following across the country and the firm promised to rehabilitate pitches to raise the bar and urges more needy communities to reach out to them with their needs.
Kenya’s top sports gaming firm, Betika extends support through their initiative “Betika Na Community” towards a retired teacher James Kagambi as he prepares to make history by climbing Mt. Everest.
He endeavors on this alongside veterans from the United States of America in a 70-day trip. Betika Na Community was launched in 2019 as the company’s CSR initiative whose objective is to support Kenyans who pursue adventures through sports and embody the values of sportsmanship, risk-taking, excitement, and passion.
The firm’s CEO, Mr. Nicholas Mruttu said, “Betika shares a common value with our sportsmen and sportswomen- a need for continuous improvement. Through Betika Na Community, we will support outstanding athletes to achieve their highest dreams so that they can inspire others to go for theirs”.
Since its inception, Betika through the Betika Na Community initiative has reached hundreds of thousands of Kenyans in the last 3 years and James Kagambi (aka KG) is the first beneficiary in 2022 who will on April 5th, travel to the Himalayas as part of the Full Circle Everest Expedition (FCEE) with an all-Black cohort of climbers. Their goal is to make history by becoming the first all-Black team to summit the highest mountain on the planet.
Led by Phil Henderson, an experienced mountaineer and 30-year veteran of the outdoor industry, the team has built its expedition around far more than attaining a summit. It’s an effort to steer the narrative of mountaineering, climbing, and simply enjoying the outdoors to one that is more inclusive for future generations. It’s about showing that the outdoors is a space for everyone.
It’s about elevating and inviting new faces into the mix. “For KG, what has been a highly rewarding but purely personal pursuit for the last 34 years has turned into another avenue for him to influence and inspire alongside a diverse, but a unified team of expedition members. We are happy to take him up under our wings and steer him to achieve his wildest dreams of summiting Mt. Everest. For us as a brand, we knew we wanted to sponsor KG immediately he came to us because he is ambitious, not ordinary, and willing to carry the Kenyan flag across the globe to the highest peak on earth”, Said Nicholas Mruttu, CEO of Betika.
James Kagambi (KG) began his guiding career in Kenya as a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) as a field instructor in 1987. He worked in Africa, Chile, India, and the United States as backpacking, climbing, and mountaineering instructor, spending over 700 weeks (13 cumulative years) As an outdoor educator in the backcountry.
A senior mountaineering instructor, KG has regularly worked in NOLS’NOLS mountaineering programs in Patagonia, Alaska, East Africa, and India. Kagambi was the first black African to summit Denali in 1989 and was the first black African to summit Aconcagua in 1994.
He is actively involved in training Kenya’s mountain rescue teams. He has also completed three of the Seven Summits and in 1992 represented Africa in the U.N Peace Climb for the world on the Eiger. His patience and teaching ability grew from his experience as a grade school teacher, coaching sports, and teaching traditional African music.
Most recently KG had the pleasure of meeting Kenya’s president after carrying the 50th Anniversary flag celebrating the country’s independence to the summit of Mount Kenya
The team, which is set to embark on the trip in April 2022, is seeking to rewrite history as the first all-Black Mountaineering Expedition team to attempt to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Since the first person climbed onto the summit in 1953, over 10,000 have set crampons at the top of the mountain,
which is the world’s tallest, but less than 10 of them are black.
Betika’s sponsorship includes James Kagambis’ training, travel allowances, and insurance, as well as all operational logistics. The sponsorship is in line with the gaming firm’s commitment to nurture
Kenyan sportsmen across the country to give them a push towards achieving both their goals and putting Kenya in the global spotlight.
Speaking at the announcement, James Kagambi said ” Betika is the most visible sports sponsor in the country and I’m delighted to have them supporting me. Last year, I watched Betika sponsoring the
four Kenyan rally drivers during the WRC, this year I am the beneficiary. I never thought anyone would notice me or my efforts to do the most daring thing I have looked forward to all my life.
Mountaineering is not cheap, just getting a climbing permit that typically includes transportation from Kathmandu or Lhasa, food, base camp tents, Sherpa support, and supplemental oxygen costs more than 2Million Kshs. I know so many good climbers who are looking forward to conquering Mt. Everest but lack the funds or the skill. I have trained for months both locally and in Nepal. I will try my best to Summit Mt. Everest. When companies like Betika come to support people like us with extreme dreams, we get motivated to do better, to keep the fight and the love of the sport. We have had months of training and I will strive to summit Mt. Everest as the first all-black team and as the only Kenyan in the team often”.
Bananaland Deaf FC, a female football team for deaf women in Nyamira County, is in dire need of financial support, to enable players to participate in the forthcoming national tournament.
Ms. Esther Moraa, the Team Captain for the club told KNA that their team is unable to participate in tournaments for deaf women, because they are financially incapacitated, yet they have been practicing and competing with other teams locally.
“Our team has been selected by the Deaf Football Federation of Kenya (DFFK), to participate in the 2nd Edition of the National Deaf Women Football Championship at Bhukhungu Stadium in Kakamega County on 3rd of next month, but we are likely to be left out in this crucial tournament because of the huge financial budget involved, which we are not in a position to meet at the moment,” The Captain said.
Moraa added that the team is struggling against many odds to nurture special sports talents of people abled differently in the county, hence the need for the team to be accorded the support that other sporting activities receive.
“We desperately need all support available to achieve our dream of becoming the best team of the deaf women football players in the country and beyond,” she expressed confidence.
Mr. Brian Otsialo, the Team Coach stated that the players are passionate about the game and are eager to learn and participate in as many tournaments as possible, so that they can also be recognized and supported, just like those visually abled.
“The team players are however constrained financially and are not able to participate in various regional and national matches for deaf women, this situation discourages most players who feel that they are most probably neglected because they are a challenged minority who may not make any impact in society with their sporting activity,” he lamented.
Mr. Yobesh George, the referee for the deaf players in the Gusii region said that he is not able to assist the deaf women teams in Nyamira, saying they are unable to facilitate his regular visits.
“The team captain told me that since it’s the players who make contributions to facilitate my transport to assist them play professionally and they are not all financially endowed, I cannot assist them as often as they would wish, because they cannot afford.
He confirmed to KNA that the team will be participating in a national tournament in Bhukhungu Stadium, Kakamega County next month, after which officials will select the best players to participate in an international tournament in Brazil in April.
Nyamira County Director for Sports, Jared Nambaka, told KNA that the County Government has done its best to support Bananaland Deaf FC financially, though the budgets are constrained and clarified that due to the effects of Covid-19, there was no budget allocated for sporting activities in this Financial Year, so the County may not be in a position to meet all their financial need.
“We have been supporting this team to our level best by approved budgets, but this Financial Year, our sports Department will not be in a position to assist them financially because we have not been allocated any budgets for sporting activities. I advise the team leaders, to source for support from other institutions of goodwill or well-wishers, to support them participate in the forthcoming tournaments,” Mr. Nambaka said.
Bananaland Deaf FC team is comprised of women players who are deaf and dumb, but that challenge has not hindered them from pursuing their passion for football. All they need is an enabling environment and the right support, just like other well established well-established teams, to enable them to participate in competitions and win medals.
Joyce Chepkemoi poses with her gold medal after winning the women’s senior race at the Agnes Tirop Memorial World Cross Country Tour
It was another day to remember for Kenya Defence Forces’ Joyce Chepkemoi as she stormed to victory in the women’s senior race at the Agnes Tirop Memorial World Cross Country Tour at Lobo village in Eldoret.
Chepkemoi led a Kenyan sweep of the podium, timing 34:02 as world 5000m silver medalist, Margaret Chelimo (34:09) and Nespine Jepleting (34:22) settled for second and third respectively.
It was the same script for Chepkemoi who had produced a shocking win at the National Cross Country Championship at the same venue, over two weeks ago.
“I am so excited that once again I have won at this venue. I thank God for today’s victory. It is the right platform I need as I shift my focus to the track and field season,” the 2018 Trento Half Marathon champion said.
Chepkemoi added: “My biggest desire this year is to run at the World Championship in Oregon, specifically the 10,000m. I hope by the grace of God it will be a similar story for me as has been in the cross country.”
In her quest for glory, the Nocturna Valencia 15km champion said she will draw inspiration from the late Agnes Tirop, describing the world 10,000m silver medalist as a beacon of hope for many athletes.
“The way I remember her is that she was a person who liked to associate more with upcoming athletes than established ones. She would encourage us and share useful tips on how we could improve ourselves. She used to double in 5000m and 10,000m and I hope to follow in the same path,” she said.
