Sporting hub has produced legends

Moi High School-Kabarak under 16 football team during their training session at the school play ground.

Besides excelling in academics, Moi High School-Kabarak is a known sporting giant. Some of its students have over the years been selected to represent Kenya in di­ erent international assignments – the latest being in the 2016 Rio Olympics Games in Brazil.

Sprinter Raymond Kibet was in the Kenyan 400 metres contingent in the Rio Olympics. He also represented Kenya in the third edition of the 2017 IAAF World Relays in Nassau, Bahamas, from April 22–23. International swimmer Alex Sio was also a product of the institution.

Later his son Ryan Sio joined Kabarak and represented Kenya in the East African Secondary Schools Games in Rwanda last year and won a bronze medal. Head of Extra Curricular Activities Rowlands Omondi Otieno, who also teaches Mathematics and Physics, is credited for Kabarak’s sporting prowess. “It requires total dedication and commitment to shape these sportsmen and women to become legends in their specialties in a programme that also fits excellent academic performance to satisfy their parents who are keen on their academic achievement,” said Omondi.

The school has enough pitches for ball games and a swimming pool which it shares with Kabarak University. All these have been achieved through the e­ orts of former President Daniel arap Moi who is the institution’s patron. Omondi’s sporting prowess made him to be elected Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Rift Valley branch secretary general for 12 years starting 1992.

Besides swimming and athletics, he is a basketball and handball coach and currently chairs Kenya Swimming Federation, Rift Valley branch. Omondi has twice been appointed by Kenya Swimming Federation the manager of the teams that participated in the African Swimming Championships in Dakar-Senegal in 2006 and in Casablanca Morocco in 2010.

The African Swimming Championships in Dakar was a big success as it was the first time Kenya ever won a medal in the continental swimming championships after they bagged nine medals; four Gold, four Silver and one Bronze. Omondi is also credited with moulding Kenyan swimming legends Jason Dunford and David Dunford who have represented the country in the Olympics. And how did Omondi, who joined the school in 1986 as a woodwork teacher, fit into all these programmes to emerge one of the most articulate and respected coaches in the Rift Valley region? When he left Maranda High School for the institution, which was then referred to as Kabarak High School, little did he know this was the beginning of better things to come.

At first, he hesitated to switch from Siaya to Nakuru. On reaching Kabarak High School, the first person who welcomed him to the institution was President Moi “Wow, it was a great gesture and I was elated and got the courage to take the bull by the horns in tackling the task ahead of me in serving the nation in a new and fresh environment. This opened up a new chapter my career that has turned out to be illustrious,” said Omondi. All his four children have studied at Moi High School-Kabarak