Bungoma Marvel dazzles FEASSSA Eldoret crowd

The famed Friends School Bukembe football team’s number one fan who made headlines after cycling around 400 kilometers to watch his team during the Nzoia Regional games held in Lodwar has yet again cycled his heart out to Eldoret, for the East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association games that kicked off on Saturday afternoon.

Kennedy Makokha, nicknamed the Bungoma Marvel after his story went viral on microblogging website Twitter, attracted the attention of students, teachers, locals and journalists in Eldoret after snubbing a school bus ride and opting to hit the road in his Black Mamba bicycle.

“They wanted to ferry me here in the school bus but I refused. I believe by making this sacrifice something good will come out of it. This bicycle could carry the trophy home. In Kisumu I left it and we didn’t perform as expected,” Makokha told Citizen Digital.

But, there was something special that attracted the crowd to the soft-spoken man, a big file that looked as old as the bike, which he says has not been serviced since the Lodwar journey.

The file had papers documenting matches played as early as 1996, the scores, scorers and the teams. They varied from school games, Africa Cup of Nations, World Cup to English Premier League among others.

The most striking in the file were photographs he took in school games in the early 2000s, with youthful faces of players who have shone in international scenes. Former Harambee Stars captain, McDonald Mariga and Moses Odhiambo appeared in three different team group photos he has archived.

“I was telling photographers to get me the group photos for memory. People like arguing about past football events others misplacing facts. With such it is easy to remember.”

And, in showing the importance of the photos, he challenged some teachers who were keenly following our interview to identify Kakamega Homeboyz midfielder Andrew Kulecho in one of the photos.

“You see, this was in 2009 while he was playing for Kakamega High. I know some of these players would be surprised if they saw these photos when they were small boys. Over there is Dennis Oliech, that time he was playing for Kamukunji High,” explained the football fanatic.

Amazingly, no one but him could spot the now so changed Kulecho among his teammates then.

Justus Masika, the Principal of Bukembe, confirmed that their faithful supporter insisted on using his bike instead coming to Eldoret.

“We are with him, even here we are taking care of him. We wanted to come with him but he declined. I can’t say he loves cycling, for him it goes beyond that.

“We always feel his presence when he is around, even the boys acknowledge the boost he brings to the camp,” remarked the school head.

Makokha is emphatic that despite finishing third in the Kisumu nationals, his team can turn tables and carry home the East African gong.