Legendary Kenyan athlete Maiyoro dead at 88

Nyantika Maiyoro at the Christamarianne Hospital in Kisii where he is admitted [Courtesy]

Legendary Kenyan track and field athlete Nyantika Maiyoro has died at the age of 88.

The veteran had been ailing for some time and was admitted at the Christamarianne Hospital in Kisii County, where he is said to have been diagnosed with Tuberculosis.

According to his son, Kennedy Nyantika, the retired athlete went into a coma on Sunday, February 24 after developing breathing problems.

"Mzee has left us. I'm now preparing his body for the morgue," Mr. Nyantika said on Sunday night.

Maiyoro was admitted in hospital and was diagnosed with Tuberculosis [Courtesy]

Last week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’I and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya members had pledged to assist Maiyoro to clear his medical bills after appealed for help.

“In recognition of this indelible contribution to our sports, The National Olympic Committee of Kenya will, in the meantime, offer some financial support to Nyantika towards his current medical attention,” read NOC’s press statement sent to newsrooms.

Nyantika won the 3000 metres race at the 1953 Indian Ocean Games in Madagascar before competing for Kenya at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

ABOUT NYANTIKA

LIFE AND CAREER

Nyantika Maiyoro was Born 1931 in Kiogoro, Kisii, Kenya and joined Nyakegogi Primary but later dropped out to focus on his blossoming athletics career.

 The late legend was known as the first top Kenyan long-distance runner. He won his debut international race when he triumphed in 3000 m race at the 1953 Indian Ocean Games in Madagascar.

This race was however marred with unfortunate events as he started late because he didn’t understand the instructions. He, however, joined the race when other runners had run for close to 100 meters and went on to win it.

The sizzling hot Maiyoro also competed in the 1954 British Commonwealth games held in Vancouver, Canada where he represented Kenya in her first major international athletics championships.

In the same year, he finished fourth at the Amateur Athletic Association Championships in London and stunned the British crowd that turned out to witness that day as they had never seen African long distance athletes at the summit before.

 He went ahead to captain the Kenyan team in 1956 Olympics-officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, also held in Australia. The late Kenyan legend retired in 1964.

Upon his retirement, Mzee Maiyoro took a job as a veterinary scout by the colonial officers, then as Nyamira District sports officer and later as the manager of Kisii Municipal stadium. He completely retired from work in 2002.

His sparkling career was marked by several honors including The Member of British Empire (MBE) honor given by the Queen of England in 1961, Silver star Medal Given by Retired President Moi in 1987 and the Distinguished service award by Kenyatta University in 1995.

THE STRUGGLES

Despite his achievements, Mzee Maiyoro struggled upon retirement.

 He was detained at the Kisii Hospital in 2014 for failing to pay a hospital bill of 39,000 shillings that was only paid after the intervention of well-wishers and friends.

He had also been entangled in legal issues over his property in Nyamira County where he had been battling grabbers.

The 15-acre piece of land was awarded to him by the late Jomo Kenyatta’s government due to his exploits on the tracks and it took the intervention of the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former President Mwai Kibaki back in 2014 to save the property from being taken away from him.

"Mzee Jomo Kenyatta gave me the land at independence in 1963,” he said. I remember it was during a visit to State House in Mombasa that I met Mzee Kenyatta and told him my biggest problem was that I didn’t have any land.

He then ordered the District Commissioner in Kisii at the time (Isaiah Mathenge) to hand the land to me.” Said the late Maiyoro to a local news outlet while recovering at his Kisii home in 2014,”

Kisii region and Kenya at large mourn the fallen legend who whose name will be forever engraved in the hearts of Kenyans for his exploits on the tracks and for making Kenya visible.

The late Mzee Maiyoro had two wives and 14 children.