Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala during the launch of the sprints club at Merishaw School/ HANDOUT

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, says the launch of the Omanyala Sprints Club at Merishaw School is aimed at creating a strong pipeline that will fuel the rise of future Kenyan sprinters capable of dominating global championships.

On Wednesday, Omanyala officially unveiled the sprints club at Merishaw School in Isinya, Kajiado County, under the Omanyala Foundation.
The move marked a significant stride in nurturing the next generation of raw speedsters, shifting the focus from individual brilliance to sustainable sprint development.
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The Omanyala Foundation operates on three key pillars, with sprint talent identification and development at its core. 
Omanyala noted that the initiative was born out of a deep desire to safeguard the future of Kenyan sprinting on the global stage.
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“We have launched this sprint club at Merishaw School, the first beneficiary of the Omanyala Foundation. We are doing this to make sure more sprinters are coming up in future championships,” Omanyala revealed.
The Kenyan speed king added that succession planning was at the heart of the project, insisting he does not want to leave a vacuum in the sprint scene once his career winds down.
“I do not want to leave a gap. 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,” he added.
Omanyala is widely regarded as one of Kenya’s and the continent’s greatest sprinters.
He holds the African 100m record after scorching the track in 9.77 seconds at the 2021 Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.
He is also the African 150m record holder, having clocked a blistering 14.70 seconds earlier this year at the Adidas Atlanta City Games.
In addition, Omanyala owns the national 60m record, set at 6.54 seconds in France in 2023.
His glittering resume includes the 100m gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, underlining his status as Africa’s sprint standard-bearer.
Omanyala claimed double gold at the 2022 African Championships, winning the 100m and anchoring Kenya’s men’s 4x100m relay to victory.
He established the Omanyala Foundation to identify, nurture and mentor young athletes by providing structured pathways from school-level athletics to elite competition.
One of the standout beneficiaries of the foundation is Clinton Aluvi, who made history as the first Kenyan youngster to win gold in the 100m at the African Under-20 Championships.
Merishaw School games master, Kipkirui Sang', believes the Omanyala Sprints Club will be a powerful source of inspiration for young, talented sprinters.
“We decided to partner with Omanyala because he is a brand. He is recognised both nationally and internationally, and we associate him with success. He will be a mentor to the young students,” Sang' said.
“We are going to conduct trials starting next term for students within our school. After identifying those capable of joining the sprint club, the coaches will then come in."
The Omanyala Foundation will deploy a team of experienced coaches, working alongside local trainers, to oversee the programme and ensure proper development of the identified athletes.
“After a certain period, depending on how competitive the athletes prove to be, we will expose them out there. This is about answering the question: What’s next after school?” he said.
“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. We have the facilities and can host talent identification camps and even international competitions,” Sang' added.