St Joseph’s Boys National School in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, hopes a new partnership with Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala will reignite its athletics programme and produce sprinters capable of competing at the highest levels of school sport.
The school on Tuesday, September 29, welcomed the launch of an Omanyala Sprints Club, part of the sprinter’s growing grassroots initiative to establish structured sprint programmes in schools across Western Kenya.
Chief Principal Cosmas Stephen Simiyu Nabungolo noted that the partnership presents the school with an opportunity to unlock potential that has received limited attention in the past.
“We are only the best now, even in athletics. I want to thank Ferdinand Omanyala for launching this Sprints Club at this school. The boys are elated, we are all very happy,” said Nabungolo.
He added that the school had not invested sufficiently in athletics and sprinting for a long time, but the new programme would provide students with access to specialised coaching and technical support.
“This will give us an opportunity to showcase our athletics talent, especially the sprints,” he disclosed. “For a long time we have not been investing in athletics and in the sprints, but now we are privileged to have the Omanyala Foundation preparing our students on matters sprints so that they can be good athletes.”
The principal is already looking beyond the initial launch, expressing optimism that the programme will help the school develop athletes capable of competing at the East African level.
“Come next year, we look forward to having even more talents in the school, who will compete up to the East African level in Rwanda,” announced Nabungolo.
He described the partnership as an example of how schools and athletes can work together to create opportunities for young people.
“This is how to nurture talent. We do not take it for granted. We have a platform to grow and harness athletics, thanks to our own Ferdinand Omanyala,” he said.
Omanyala explained that the programme would go beyond simply providing students with an opportunity to run. It will combine talent identification, structured coaching, technical expertise and mentorship to help young athletes develop their abilities.
The school’s status as a national institution is also central to the initiative. With students drawn from different parts of Kenya, Omanyala believes St Joseph’s Boys can serve as an important centre for identifying promising sprinters from across the country.
He said the programme would also target younger athletes, including Grade Nine students identified through regional scouting.
The Kitale launch followed the establishment of an Omanyala Sprints Club at Friends School Kamusinga, Omanyala’s former school, underscoring his growing focus on school-based talent development.
Omanyala disclosed that he wants the clubs to form part of a national network that gives young athletes a clear route from school competition to elite athletics.
The initiative also reflects his personal journey. Omanyala discovered his sprinting potential relatively late after concentrating on rugby during his school years.
By taking structured sprint training closer to young athletes, he hopes they can receive the coaching, mentorship and competition opportunities needed to develop much earlier.
For St Joseph’s Boys, the immediate objective is to translate the new partnership into results on the track, with the school hoping its emerging sprinters will make their mark in regional competitions.
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