Media personality Janet Mbugua's son becomes first beneficiary of Ferdinand Omanyala's new sprint club
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 26.02.26. | 09:25
The launch marks the second school-based sprint club under the Omanyala Foundation, coming just days after the first was unveiled at Merishaw School in December 2025
Former Citizen TV presenter Janet Mbugua is beaming with pride after her son became the first beneficiary of a new sprint development program spearheaded by Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala.
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The youngster is set to enroll at the newly launched Omanyala Sprint Club at Crawford International School, a program designed to nurture budding sprinters from a young age.
The launch marks the second school-based sprint club under the Omanyala Foundation, coming just days after the first was unveiled at Merishaw School in December 2025.
Speaking during the launch, Mbugua described the initiative as a timely solution for parents seeking structured sprint training for their children.
“I was very honored to be here today as Ferdinand Omanyala launched a sprinting club for students, something that I’ve always wanted. One of my sons has shown a lot of potential in sprinting from the time he was very young,” she said.
Mbugua revealed that despite her efforts, she struggled to find a suitable environment to nurture her son’s talent. However, his recent triumph in an inter-school competition, in which he emerged top among five participating schools, confirmed her belief in his ability.
“It made me realize he has potential. So how can I nourish that potential? When this club came about, it answered questions not just for me, but for a lot of parents who want to give their children a chance to start young and be trained by one of the best in the world,” she continued.
Omanyala emphasized that the club is about more than just running fast.
“Through this, they’re going to build speed, character, and discipline. These students are going to be equipped with professional sprinting techniques from the onset, while they’re still young,” he said.
The 2022 Commonwealth champion expressed excitement about the initiative's long-term national impact.
“It’s going to be a long-term impact, even to the country, when these students will be winning medals and bringing them back home. I’ve always said I want to have so many sprinters so that every year we have someone coming up, and through this, we’re going to achieve that,” he offered.
Crawford International School’s Deputy Principal for Sports and Outreach, Kizito Wafula Okumu, noted that the initiative aligns with the institution’s broader vision of holistic development.
“This program is aimed at improving the discipline of our children and developing the talent of our students, especially those interested in athletics, sprinting in particular. We are also going to strengthen the sporting programs here at Crawford International School,” he said.
The program is being rolled out under the Omanyala Foundation, which operates on three key pillars, with sprint talent development at its core. The foundation is driven by the belief that every budding sprinter deserves a fair opportunity to reach their full potential.
Through the establishment of sprint clubs in schools, the foundation aims to create structured pathways from grassroots athletics to elite competition. This includes training specialized coaches and providing professional mentorship to young athletes.