HOPE FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AS RACE IS CONCLUDED

Michael Njenga and Lydia Njeri are the new champions of the 13^th edition of Henry Wanyoike Hope for the Future Run held on Saturday at Kikuyu, Kiambu County.  Njenga  beat Vincent Boit and Dancun Manyara who finished second and third  respectively in the men’s ten kilometre  senior race.

“I am very glad for my victory today. This is my second time to be part of this race and I have been training hard to win. The weather was good with a clear route.  This victory will go a long way to not only helping me, but also assisting those who have visual impairment,” said Njenga,.

Njeri who was also participating in the race for the second time crossed the finish line ahead of Pauline Wangui, who came in second followed closely by Esther Waweru in the women’s senior race. “I am looking forward to concentrating in the international races this year,” said Njeri, the winner of the women’s ten kilometre senior race.

In the nine kilometre junior race, Ephantus Githau won in the men’s category. He was followed closely by Simon Kimor and Mathew Nganga. Lucy Wanjiku won the nine kilometre Junior women’s category, followed by Joyce Wawera and Hannah Muthoni.

Njenga and Njeri each went home with a cash prize of Kshs.  15, 000 while the first and second runners-up in the senior categories pocketed Kshs.  10,000 and Kshs. 8,000 respectively. This year’s goal is to distribute white canes to enhance mobility for visually impaired people enabling them to move around on their own in their places of work, business and school.

Safaricom sponsored the race to a tune of Kshs.  1 million in cash. This is in addition to providing security and ambulances for the event whose target was to raise Kshs. 10 million, in kind and cash that will be used to distribute two hundred white canes for visually impaired people across all the forty seven counties.