Kenya’s sprinting future just found a new starting block.
On Wednesday, December 17, Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, officially launched the Omanyala Sprint Club, a bold grassroots initiative designed to identify, mentor and develop the next generation of Kenyan sprinters.
The programme was unveiled at Merishaw School in Isinya, Kajiado County, marking the first major project under the Omanyala Foundation.
For a country globally celebrated for distance running, the move represents a deliberate and timely investment in speed.
Merishaw School takes the first baton
Merishaw School becomes the first beneficiary of the sprint club, which is built around three key pillars, with sprint talent development sitting at its core. At the heart of the initiative is a simple philosophy: talent should never be lost because of lack of opportunity.
The foundation aims to create clear, structured pathways for young athletes, guiding them from school-level athletics to elite competition. This will be achieved through the establishment of sprint clubs in schools, specialised coach training, and direct professional mentorship.
Learning from the fastest
What sets the Omanyala Sprint Club apart is proximity to excellence. The athletes will be mentored and trained by Ferdinand Omanyala himself, offering students rare, first-hand access to one of Africa’s most decorated sprinters.
Merishaw School Games Master Kipkirui Sang explained why the partnership made sense.
“We decided to partner with Omanyala because he is a brand,” Sang said. “He is recognised both nationally and internationally, and we associate him with success. He will be a mentor to the young students.”
Omanyala is expected to begin working with the school next term, starting with internal trials to identify students with sprinting potential.
“We are going to conduct trials starting next term for students within our school,” Sang explained. “After identifying those capable of joining the sprint club, the coaches will then come in.”
The Omanyala Foundation will deploy a team of coaches to work alongside local trainers, ensuring athletes receive structured and professional guidance at every stage.
Bridging the gap after school
Beyond performance, the initiative tackles one of the biggest challenges facing young athletes in Kenya: what happens after Form 4.
“After a certain period, depending on how competitive the athletes prove to be, we will expose them out there,” Sang said. “This is about answering the question: what’s next after school?”
The programme is designed to open doors to exposure, scholarships and career progression, preventing promising talent from fading away once formal schooling ends.
While Merishaw School is the starting point, there are plans to expand.
“For now, we are starting with our students, but as time goes by, we will engage the Omanyala Foundation so that during holidays we can open our doors to other sprinters,” Sang added. “We have the facilities and can host talent identification camps and even international competitions.”
Omanyala’s long game
For Omanyala, the sprint club is about legacy as much as it is about development.
“We have launched this sprint club at Merishaw School, the first beneficiary of the Omanyala Foundation,” he said. “We are doing this to make sure more sprinters are coming up in future championships.”
“I do not want to leave a gap,” Omanyala added. “That was the essence of coming up with the sprint club. We hope to recruit as many sprinters as we can from here and give them a clear pathway to their careers going forward.”
The launch of the Omanyala Sprint Club signals a shift in how sprint talent can be nurtured in Kenya, blending elite mentorship, structured training and long-term planning.
With Africa’s fastest man personally guiding the process, Kenya’s next wave of sprinters may already be lining up, waiting for the gun to go.
