Dan Omwanza, one of Kenya's independence athlete, dies in Nairobi

Dan Omwanza

Dan Omwanza, one of Kenya's pioneer athletes who competed for the country at independence, has died aged 74.

Photo credit: Pool |

What you need to know:

  • Omwanza's rural home is in Ibeno, Nyaribari Chache Constituency in Kisii County but the family lives in Nakuru.
  • Moraa said the family will issue further updates on burial arrangements in due course.

Dan Omwanza, one of Kenya's pioneer athletes who competed for the country at independence, has died aged 74.
 
His wife, Esther Moraa Omwanza, said the former track legend had been admitted with high blood pressure and stroke at a Nairobi hospital where he died on Wednesday night.

"He has been in and out of hospital for months now. He rested on Wednesday night. As a family, we accept the loss and thank God for the period we lived together," she said.

Omwanza was part of the training group for the historic 4x400m relay team that won gold at the 1972 in Munich.

Robert Ouko and Julius Sang, both deceased, as well as Charles Asati and Hezekiah Nyamao made the final cut.

Among the four who eventually struck gold; the three, Ouko, Asati and Nyamao were from the Gusii region while Sang was from Narok County.

Omwanza, popularly known as Omoisi Omobe, was part of the team that qualified during the trials in Mombasa.

He switched to the 800m during the Munich Games. He had won 400m and 800m during the Kenyan trials for the Games.

He qualified for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal in 800m after clocking 1min 46.1 sec.

Omwanza's rural home is in Ibeno, Nyaribari Chache Constituency in Kisii County but the family lives in Nakuru.

Moraa said the family will issue further updates on burial arrangements in due course.