Dennis Oliech and Humphrey Kayange were among 30 Kenyan sports personalities recognized as heroes during the 2021 Mashujaa Day celebrations held on 20 October 2021.
Dennis Oliech and Humphrey Kayange were among 30 Kenyan sports personalities recognized as heroes during the 2021 Mashujaa Day celebrations held on 20 October 2021.
Oliech was first capped for the Harambee Stars in 2002 aged 17 and went to feature 76 times for the national team, scoring 34 goals, just one shy of all time goalscorer William “Chege”Ouma.
After a stint with Mathare United, Oliech moved to Qatari side Al Arabi between 2003 and 2005 before joining French club Nantes between 2005 and 2007. He would then feature for Auxerre between 2007 and 2012 and Ajacio between 2013 and 2015 before moving to Dubai CSC in 2015. He returned to Kenya to play out his career with Gor Mahia in 2019.
Most Kenyans believe Oliech's biggest match was against Cape Verde when he scored a last minute goal to allow Harambee Stars qualify for AFCON Championship in 2004. He would go on to score at the tournament, finding the back of the net in Kenya’s 3-0 win over Burkina Faso.
Kayange is one of Kenya’s most iconic rugby personalities, having played for the sevens and fifteens national teams. He was captain of the Shujaa squad that reached the semifinals of the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai and also featured in the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens semifinalist squad, the 2016 Singapore Sevens winning squad and played at the 2016 rugby sevens competition at the Tokyo Olympics.
List of Sports Heroes
Peres Jepchirchir – Olympian
Dennis Oliech – former Harambee Stars captain
Lawrence Cherono – Olympian
Bob Oyugi – Youth Football Coach
Delilah Asiago – Marathoner
Ricky Solomon –retired football administrator
Linus Wachoka – Naivasha prisons wresting coach
Millicent Busolo – Kenya Netball Federation Secretary General
Joseph Kiprotich – veteran athlete
Abudu Juma – former weightlifter
Felix Kipkoech – Gold medalists in Geneva Berlin half marathon in 2021
Peter Kalae – President of Kenya Sports for the deaf
Dickson Manyange – deaf handball player
Isaac Makokha – Kenya’s Topmost Deaf-and-dumb golfer
Moses Mathenge – boxer
Sudhir Solank – former Kenya cricketer
Jennifer Kamande – coach Para swimming
Erick Kiptoo – Paralympian
David Korir – guide to Erick Kiptoo
Wesley Sang – Paralympian
Nancy Chelangat – Paralympian
Geoffrey Kiplangat – guide to Nancy Chelangat
Asiya Mohammed – 1st Kenyan female paralympic rower
Rose Tata – Athlete
Stephen Kamande – marathoner
Richard Juma – Olympian
Ruth Chepngetich – Reigning World Half marathon champion
Humphrey Kayange –Former Kenya Sevens captain
Winnie Adoyo – Sports Sign Language Interpreter
Duncan Kuria – retired boxer