Lmayiana Lengeyia wins the men's 10km road race/ HANDOUTHometown favourite Lmayiana Lengeyia and Caroline Cheptoo of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were crowned the men’s and women’s 10km champions respectively at the inaugural NDMA Road Race for Peace and Resilience at Archers Post, Samburu County over the weekend.
The race, which brought together a blend of elite athletes and community runners, featured 10km, 5km and 2km categories, with each distance split into community and elite fields.
Lengeyia produced a commanding run in the men’s 10km, stopping the clock at 35:15 to claim the top honours, with KDF’s Moses Kirimi settling for second in 35:35. Letaya Ezekiel completed the podium in 35:42.
In the women’s 10km, Cheptoo timed 34:28 to cross the finish line first, holding off Miriam Chepkemoi, who clocked 34:49 for second place, while Agnes Chesang was third in 34:50.
Beyond the competition and the battle for road-racing honours, the event served as a national fundraising platform for four community-identified water projects spread across Samburu, Isiolo, Laikipia and Meru counties, with the projects requiring a combined investment of roughly Sh130.8 million to complete.
Once completed, NDMA Chief Executive Officer Lt. Col. (Rtd.) Hared Adan said the projects are expected to transform the lives of more than 5,000 households, benefitting about 30,000 people while supporting more than 50,000 livestock.
Action Against Hunger Chief Impact Officer Rotimy Djossaya said the organisation has committed to cover half the cost of two community-prioritised water projects, contributing Sh38.4 million, while also pledging further collaboration with the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).
Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) pledged Sh5 million to adopt a third project, in addition to committing a further Sh5 million every year for the next five years towards broader drought-resilience initiatives. The bank also contributed Sh1 million towards staging the inaugural road race, while Equity Bank Kenya and Co-operative Bank of Kenya each donated Sh500,000.
The inaugural Road Race Ambassador, international athlete Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, used the platform to link the investment in water infrastructure and drought resilience to the everyday realities facing communities in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).
Born and raised in Samburu County, Ebenyo spoke passionately about growing up in communities where families are forced to walk long distances in search of water, as the recurrent drought continues to undermine livelihoods, education and opportunities for young people.
“A child should run because they have a dream, not because they are without nearby water.”
Ebenyo added: “We ran so that communities do not have to walk long distances for water. We ran for peace. We ran for drought resilience. We ran for opportunity.”
