Kenyan cyclist rides into Bulawayo

Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter

KENYAN cyclist, Otieno Wakake who embarked on a ride across Africa in a bid to raise awareness for better education throughout the continent is set to arrive in Bulawayo today having gone through Victoria Falls.

His journey began three months ago and from Bulawayo he will be going to South Africa then Botswana then Ghana and back to Kenya.

Arriving in the City of Kings and Queens from the cradle of mankind, the man who trusted his bicycle to ful l his goal will have an event held at Matopo Hilltop Hotel. He is set to leave alongside other riders from Rainbow Hotel at 0900hrs with a police escort to the nal destination.

In 1977 an Indian man Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia cycled from his country to Sweden in search of a girl he had met earlier. However, with

Wakake it’s di‑ erent, he is driven by education in a bid to make sure that some underprivileged students get the chance to go to school.

The endeavour is not a first for Wakake, who last year embarked on a similar journey from Malindi, Kenya to Durban, South Africa where he rode to raise school fees for underprivileged children in his native country. His goal was to raise Ksh 1,3 million for 18 underprivileged children to attend school.

“Wakake is one man who is enjoying his life. One could argue he may have reached his Ikigai (sense of purpose or reason for living), essentially a balanced state of satisfaction. He has successfully forged his passions for art, culture, sport and social good into his ideal lifestyle through several organisations,” read a statement from some of the sponsors Mbuso Gasela and Amanda Maseko.

Through Adventure Cycling Kenya, Wakake embarks on an annual cycling adventure that raises funds for a charitable cause and last year’s event was the first where he crossed the Kenyan border. He was sustained by donations and support from various companies, cycling associations as well as the Kenyan Diaspora associations.

The event at Matopo Hilltop Hotel is expected to be a family fun day and will be open to anyone who wishes to attend. – @brandon_malvin.