Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing'Oei with African freestyle skating champion Kevin Kiarie after recognising his international achievements. Sing'Oei/X
Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing'Oei with African freestyle skating champion Kevin Kiarie after recognising his international achievements. Sing'Oei/X
Kenya's rise in the world of freestyle skating has received a major boost after Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei recognised professional inline freestyle skater Kevin Kiarie for flying the country's flag on the international stage.
In a statement shared on X, Sing'oei praised Kiarie's achievements, describing him as a remarkable ambassador whose success continues to put Kenya on the global sporting map.
"I received Kenya's professional inline freestyle skater, Kevin Kiarie. Congratulated him on his stellar achievements, including double gold at this year's Africa Skate Games in Egypt and ranking 18th globally at the Singapore World Championships in 2025," Sing'oei said.
"Kevin is a brilliant ambassador, putting Kenya on the global map. We remain committed to supporting him and our youth as they pursue their talents and represent our great country."
Kiarie has established himself as one of Kenya's most accomplished freestyle slalom skaters despite competing in a sport that has attracted little investment or public attention in the country.
His latest triumph came at the Africa Skate Games in Egypt, where he won two gold medals in the Freestyle Battle and Classic Slalom events to emerge as Africa's top freestyle slalom skater.
Earlier this year, he represented Kenya as the country's sole participant at the International Skating Challenge in Benin, returning home with one gold and one silver medal.
Kiarie's journey to international success has been driven by determination and resilience.
He discovered skating in 2014 while studying Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Kenya.
Using his first Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loan disbursement of Sh1,500, he bought a second-hand pair of skates from Gikomba Market—a decision that would lay the foundation for his sporting career.
With no public skating rinks available in Kenya, Kiarie trained in apartment basements and empty parking lots, steadily honing his skills until he broke onto the continental stage.
His road to success has also been marked by financial challenges.
Ahead of the African Championships in Egypt, Kiarie turned to TikTok for support after struggling to secure funding for the trip. Kenyans responded by raising more than Sh220,000 through crowdfunding to cover his travel and accommodation costs.
His appeal sparked a wider conversation about the lack of support for minority sports in Kenya.
Although the Ministry of Sports later approved reimbursement funds, delays reportedly caused him to miss a valuable international training opportunity in China.
Despite the setbacks, Kiarie has continued to train independently as he prepares for future World Skate competitions, determined to keep raising Kenya's profile in the growing global sport.
