Joseph Kamau led the line as cyclists affiliated to Safari Simba’s dominated the 8th edition of Sokoke Forest MTB Challenge held at Watamu, Kilifi County.
Joseph Kamau led the Team Simbas in the three-win sweep in the 80-kilometer race that attracted more than 100 participants from across the country.
“This weekend we’ve been doing the Sokoke bike event here at the coast and this year it was a three-stage race and day one was a trial of 12 kilometers circuit, day two was 55 kilometers and this last day it was 80 kilometers,” he said.
He added that, “I won all the races with my teammates making it number two and three.”
According to the organizers of the event, Arocha Kenya, the annual race is used to fundraise funds for the conservation of the Arabuko Sokoke forest and Mida creek mangrove ecosystem as well as offer bursaries to bright and needy students residing with a three-kilometer radius of the forest and the creek.
Kasandra Mwanza from Arocha Kenya said that the race had been upgraded from a one-day event to a three-day event and this year, kids below the age of 14 took part in a 15-kilometer bike race on Saturday.
“The Sokoke Forest MTB Challenge has been happening for eight years now and our tagline is raising funds for conservation and also to take students who live three kilometers of the Arabuko Sokoke forest and Mida creek to school and we provide them with eco bursaries that allow them to go to school and in turn, they conserve the Arabuko Sokoke forest,” she said.
Masha Mung’aro, a resident of Watamu said that the race had helped them sensitize the community about conservation which was now bearing fruit.
“Arocha in collaboration with other organizers have promoted this area with this championship and it has also improved tourism apart from conservation and education,” he said.
Veteran Kenyan cyclist David Kinja said that the three-day event was a game changer and that there are plans to stretch the duration to more days so that it can attract more participants.
“We see now the development of the event from a one-day event to three days of stage races and it’s been an honour that the participation and quality of the races have improved,” he said.
