Kevin Kiarie Ruhiu, a Kenyan skater who boarded a matatu to the airport on his way to a skating competition, has won a gold medal for Kenya.
In March 2026, Kevin Kiari said he could not afford an Uber as a self-sponsored Kenyan skater and had to leave from his house at 10 pm to board a matatu to arrive at the airport in time for his 3 am flight.
At the time, Kevin arrived at the airport at 2 am despite the challenges of getting a matatu. He was able to board his flight to compete as a skater representing Kenya and ultimately won in the competitions.
“Leaving for Airport, I had to use Matatu, I had very little left for spending, I couldn’t afford uber. For a flight leaving at 3 am, I left at 10 pm and arrived very early, because otherwise I wouldn’t find a matatu to the airport at 2 am,” Kevin stated on his X account.
Kevin went on to win a gold medal and a silver medal at the Challenge Skating Championships in Benin.
A month later, on May 2, Kiarie continued his fairy tale after winning a gold medal at the 2026 Africa Skate Games in Cairo, Egypt.
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Kevin Kiarie Skating Wins
The result marked a continuation of his impressive run of results in his international appearances despite the financial hurdles he has faced.
During the International Skating Challenge in Cotonou, Benin, Kevin Kiarie won a gold medal in the freestyle battle category and a silver in the classic Slalom, where he competed as a representative of Kenya.
Earlier, in December 2025, Kevin competed at the Inline Freestyle World Championship in Singapore, placing 18th.
In the Kenya National Championships, Kevin holds the title of 2-time national skating champion in the freestyle skating category.
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About Kevin Kiarie Ruhiu
Kevin is a 26-year-old structural engineer with a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Kenya.
But besides being a structural engineer, Kevin pursues inline skating and is an advocate for the youth and sports.
He began his inline skating during his first year of civil engineering studies at the Technical University of Kenya.
Kevin developed and sharpened his skills through self-training without any institutional support or professional coaching.
During his win at the International Skating Challenge in Cotonou, Benin, in early April, Kevin had no support from the ministry or any sponsors at the time, and, following this, the public raised concerns.
Despite the Ministry of Youth, Creative Economy, and Sports allocating Ksh. 13.5 billion to the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund for the 2025/26 financial year, Kevin still competed as a self-sponsored skater.
