While he has made his fame and fortune on track, Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, who is recuperating from a fractured heel, reveals that he actually makes more money outside the stadium.
After constructing a palatial Sh50 million house in Ruiru, Kiambu, from revenue gained in deals signed with corporate firms, 30-year-old Omanyala will, in November next year, become a property owner along Muthangari Drive, Westlands, Nairobi, known to attract the affluent of the city.
Omanyala has bought a Sh12m apartment in the neighbourhood courtesy of a two-year partnership with R1 Africa Ltd.
R1 Africa is a real estate and hospitality development company that builds properties across Africa.
R1 Africa is among several international firms that have partnered with the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Africa 100m champion as their brand ambassador in multi-million-shilling contracts.
They include sports attire company Adidas, Toyota Kenya, Ultimate Sports Nutrition (USN)-Kenya, which deals in sports nutrition, Medex that produces sports equipment, Oppo, which produces mobile phones and Human Tecar, which makes sports recovery machines.
“I have managed to achieve more outside the athletics track, but it’s athletics that has driven that. It’s what I have done using athletics that is paying more,” said Omanyala.
Ferdinard Omanyala celebrates winning the 100m men's final during the National Athletics Championship/Trials for the 2026 Commonwealth Games on June 20, 2026 at Nyayo National Stadium.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo| nation Media Group
“This is an assurance that my children will never go hungry and will live a comfortable life,” said Omanyala, who will be an R1 Africa Brand associate.
Omanyala advised fellow athletes to look beyond their sporting career, which is short.
“They need to open their minds and look for investments,” said Omanyala.
He advised athletes to approach firms to promote their products. “We just can’t sit and assume that our records and good results will lure them to us,” he said.
“2024 was a good year for me financially by the grace of God,” said Omanyala, adding that before the Paris Olympic Games last year, he had secured sponsorship from eight international firms.
“Financially, I have been quite successful since I have so much support, which made me set some good milestones in life like putting up a house,” said Omanyala.
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after crossing the line to win the men's 100m race at the Xiamen Diamond League Meeting in China on May 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
Omanyala's financial breakthrough came in January 2022, when he signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Adidas for an undisclosed amount. That deal was extended to 2028.
In December 2023, CFAO contracted Omanyala as their Toyota Hilux Double Cabin ambassador, handing him the model that is worth Sh6.5m. CFAO later gave him their latest modal in the market, a Toyota Prado Adventure Plus J250 that is worth Sh23m.
Omanyala also owns a Mercedes E-Class worth Sh8.4m and a Toyota Harrier valued at Sh5m. The Toyota Harrier was gifted to Omanyala by betting company Odibet owing to his track exploits
Omanyala failed to defend his Commonwealth Games title this year before withdrawing from the Diamond League Finals and World Athletics Ultimate Championships due to a stress fracture in his left heel bone.
This season Omanyala won a combined $29,000 (Sh3.86m) in prize money from four Diamond League events.
He finished first in Xiamen to pocket $20,000 (Sh2.6m), second in Shanghai to get $6,000 (Sh776,000), sixth in Paris to earn $2,000 (Sh358,800) and eighth in Rome for a pay-per-chance of $1,000 (Sh129, 400).
Omanyala reckons he still has a decade of competitive running as he targets his fourth World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China.
The former rugby player also hopes to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games after his historic appearance at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
“The year 2029 will be my peak year where I will be running my personal best times. I will be only 33 and that is why the next four seasons will be the most important for me,” said Omanyala, who has a personal best time of 9.77 seconds in 100m.
“I started my professional career at 25 and still can race up to 40 but I can’t predict these things. We can only pray for good health from God.”
“The event coming to Africa for the first time will inspire many to take up athletics, just like the 1987 African Games, 2010 Africa Championships, World Under-18 and World Under-20 did,” said Omanyala.
