Africa’s Fastest Man, Omanyala, Graduates as Police Constable

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, has graduated as a police constable in Kenya’s police service.

The 26-year-old Kenyan sprinter was among 2,881 constables who graduated yesterday from the National Police College in an event presided over by President William Ruto.

The recruits finished the basic police training course among other courses on human rights, community policing, public order management, skills at arms, and countering violent extremism, according to the National Police Service.

He joins other top Kenyan athletes who are members of the police force.

The athlete has confirmed his new status in a tweet: “It’s Official,” Omanyala announced his graduation as a police constable on Twitter yesterday afternoon. He accompanied the tweet with two photographs of him in ceremonial police uniform: one alone and the other with an unnamed, beautiful lady smiling by his side.

Omanyala set the African 100m record of 9.77 seconds in September 2021. He erased South African Akani Simbine’s 9.84seconds previous record.

He became African champion in June 2022 becoming the second Kenyan to become continental champion over the distance.

Just like former African 100m record holder at 9.85 secs, Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria who left the track & field business to enroll in the Royal British Navy, Omanyala however was silent if he was done with running. He has, perhaps, joined the long list of Kenyan athletes with military background.