Kenya: Lifestyle for the Rich And the Famous Athlete

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Mathews Ndanyi

27 May 2011

As the athletics fraternity and Kenyans in general mourn Olympics marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru, veteran runners are urging the upcoming aces to use this opportunity to take stock of their lives and live responsibly.

Eldoret town is home to some of the world’s greatest athletes, top among them the legendary Kipchoge Keino. Talk of Moses Kiptanui, Moses Tanui, Daniel Komen, Pamela Jelimo, Alice Timbilil, Janet Chepkosgei (Eldoret Express), Robert ‘Mwafrika’ Cheruiyot, Ezekiel Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto, Stephen Kiprotich and they are all first class residents of Eldoret. Eldoret is the town with the highest concentration of world class athletes globally.

Life in this North Rift town revolves in many ways around the lifestyles of the athletes who, along with the rich farmers, boast of wealth that can be seen, felt and touched. Indeed the face of Eldoret town has changed over the last few years, thanks to the wealthy athletes who are now leading investors in real estate and farming. Today some of the modern skyscrapers and huge farms around Eldoret are owned by the runners.

It’s common knowledge in Eldoret that property dealers closely monitor international races because they know if a Kenyan runner from Eldoret wins then they have a ready market for either land or buildings.

It’s estimated that the athletes have within ten years invested more than Sh4 billion in the region. However, that is as far the positive story of the athletes goes.

There are those who plunge into the real money in athletics and get carried away showing off their wealth in all manners on the streets of Eldoret.

They spin the best cars including special sports designs, they attract many women in the town and are the most generous when it comes to throwing lavish parties or engaging in endless drinking sprees at clubs in Eldoret.

One of the well-known athletes often drives at breathtaking speed on the streets a sports car fitted with loudspeakers with blaring music as if to announce his presence in the town.

Many of the athletes have indeed lived to regret their lifestyles after falling from riches to rags. An encounter with some of the best known runners who have quietly drowned into oblivion and poverty lives one with sympathy for them. “The athletics career is very interesting. If you are not wise and careful, you live to regret. But with proper planning, humility and vision, life can never be the same again,” says former two-time Boston Marathon winner Moses Tanui.

The veteran athlete admits that the experience of plunging into abrupt riches can be very overwhelming and that majority of the runners of yesteryears have harrowing tales about the changed lifestyles with money and then without even a cent to afford a meal. “That is why we think it’s time Athletics Kenya comes up with a body within it to deal with advisory and investment issues concerning upcoming athletes,” said Tanui. He says such a body will save many athletes from regrets later.

Tanui is one of the athletes who invested in real estate and land. He owns the popular GrandPri Hotel and other investments on which he spent more than Sh100 million. Luckily, he says, he comes from a poor background and when he got the money he remained an ordinary chap on the streets of Eldoret. Though he has many cars, you will meet him walking on the streets and chatting with ordinary Eldoret residents.

Moses Kiptanui, who was the 3,000m steeplechase world champion, is the other athlete who is linked to major investments in Eldoret including two major buildings. Kiptanui is a reserved man who like the legendary Kipchoge Keino engages in a lot of philanthropy but one can hardly notice his immense wealth.

He remains ordinary and down-to-earth and walks from one corner of the town to the other as he goes about his businesses. For a newcomer in Eldoret, it’s difficult to tell he owns the magnificent Komora Centre among other major investments.

Though Kipchoge Keino is the greatest and most famous athlete of all times and born in Eldoret, he has mainly earned a name because of his philanthropic work. He is a leading farmer and also owns buildings including the Kipkeino Sports House, Kipkeino School and Kipkeino Children’s Home in Eldoret but the man himself enjoys a relatively ordinary life. “The best thing for an athlete or any young person is to think of the future. You own your legacy. I ran when there was almost no money in athletics but my vision was to serve my country and the society I live in,” says Kipchoge after whom the Kipchoge stadiums in Eldoret and Kapsabet are named.

Kipchoge, who is also founder of the IOC High Altitude Training Camp in Eldoret, spends most of his time with young athletes advising them on how to develop their talent and be wise once they are successful. “I tell them never to lose focus because money can come and go in a flash but what is important is remaining who you are and thanking God for the gifts and talents He has given you by way of serving society,” said Kipchoge.

But Kipchoge, Tanui and Kiptanui are in their own category. Today, Eldoret is dotted all over with young athletes some of whom begin their running career while in Class Six. Once they plunge into the money, many of them completely abandon education to pursue the track money.

Indeed one of the main challenges which the upcoming athletics stars face is lack of adequate education to help them manage their earnings.

They see no point of going to class for many years yet they already have money, which according to them is the ultimate target and aim of seeking education. Moses Tanui says the athletes who start running early in life should ensure they also pursue their education.

For those who engage in luxuries and lavish spending, free lifestyle, some of them have their stories on the streets of Eldoret. They have a retinue of concubines in every other estate and have been victims of conmen, fraudsters and prostitutes.

In Iten town, there was an outcry last year when athletes were implicated in more than 50 cases of impregnating primary school girls. The ministry of education had to come out openly to caution the runners who were using their wealth to attract young school girls into sex leading to early pregnancies and school dropouts. The story damaged the reputation of athletes causing the old timers to come out and defend themselves.

Athletics Kenya Keiyo branch chairman, Daniel Komen, who is a retired athlete says they often advise the upcoming athletes to avoid the pitfalls of carelessness.

The athletes are role models to most youth in the area and that is why a minor race organised in Eldoret attracts thousands of runners whose main aim is to emulate their seniors who are world-beaters. Even some older people participate in the races with the hope of reversing the clock of life by winning races.

“We have to right things by having the advisory body at AK to help the thousands of youth who are getting into athletics to control their lives. Otherwise we will have many of them wasted with regrets when it will be too late to do anything,” said Moses Tanui.

Eldoret Mayor William Rono appreciates the role the athletes have played in marketing Eldoret and investing part of their wealth in the town but he has advised them to pursue education and training in management so that they can properly utilize the cash at their disposal.

The athletes are mourning the death of Olympics marathon champion Samwel Wanjiru. It’s a good opportunity for them to take stock of their lives and plan for the future because as Tanui says, an active athlete cannot run for more than 10 years and that is normally to the age of about 30. “Plan well for what you earn in the ten or less years because you have a whole lifetime ahead of you,” Tanui advises.

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