From the cradle of Kenyan athletics, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, comes a man determined to redefine cycling in his homeland.
Brian Karoney, 35, a naturally gifted athlete, turned away from the region’s famed running tradition to embrace a sport that few in Kenya take seriously -- cycling.
For Karoney, it was never about money, big names, air travel to exotic places, or big cars. It was about freedom.
The feel of the wind on his face and the rhythmic motion of his legs became his therapy, a means to heal from the devastating loss of his wife, Janet Bett, who succumbed to aplastic anaemia in India on October 17, 2021, leaving behind their one-year-old daughter, Nemye. “I coped by focusing on raising my daughter, work, and cycling,” says Karoney.
“It was a crushing void that needed more than moral support. I needed physical and mental armour to survive.”
Cycling became that armour. It helped him fight depression, rebuild his strength, and rediscover purpose.
“It gave me the mental and physical fitness I needed,” he reflects.
Aplastic anaemia is a rare condition where the body stops producing enough new blood cells due to damaged bone marrow. During his wife’s illness, Karoney’s community, especially local athletes, rallied to donate blood platelets.
That outpouring of kindness would later shape his mission. After Janet’s passing, friends rode with him in silent solidarity.
From that grief, Airpocket Cycling team was born this year. It is a small, outfit of four elite riders and one coach, driven by gratitude and a desire to create sustainable opportunities in Kenyan cycling.
“Airpocket is my way of giving back,” explains Karoney. “The people who stood by me during my darkest time deserve more than a thank you. They deserve opportunity.” His five-year-old daughter, now full of life, is his biggest inspiration. “She is my guiding star,” he smiles.
Together with his sports-loving community, she forms the twin engines that drive his mission: to professionalise cycling in Kenya and promote gratitude, community, and health.
Karoney’s vision for Airpocket is audacious: to transform his four-man team of Joseph Kariuki, Dedan Njuguna, Samuel Njau, and Clinton Kiplimo, under coach Peter Muya, into a professional outfit capable of competing in a UCI (International Cycling Union)-sanctioned event within a year. He has already invested over Sh3 million in equipment, training, and travel.
“It’s worth every coin,” he insists. “Nearly every Kenyan household owns a bicycle. That is untapped potential waiting to be organised into a sport that can create jobs, promote tourism, and build a healthier nation,” he says.
But establishing a pro cycling team will not be easy. Karoney will require a hefty title sponsor bringing in millions of shillings. He will also require a pool of talented riders who can compete at the top level and bring in results. Karoney is also keen to dispel myths surrounding cycling, particularly claims that it negatively affects men’s health.
“If that were true, the Tour de France peloton would have gone extinct years ago,” he quips.
Away from the saddle, Karoney is the CEO of Enovepay, a global payment solutions company operating in 13 countries. He is now leveraging his business expertise to tackle one of Kenyan cycling’s most persistent frustrations: delayed prize payouts.
“Cyclists sometimes wait weeks or never get paid because of bureaucratic delays,” he explains. His solution is to have smart timing chips linked to instant digital payouts. “Our goal is to make rewards prompt, transparent, and certain.” Would he ever trade his CEO title for full-time cycling? “No,” he says firmly. “My work funds my passion.Cycling is expensive. Unless someone is giving away free bikes, I have to keep working to keep riding.”
Kenya’s cycling story is paradoxical. Despite being the training ground for future Tour de France champion Chris Froome, the country has yet to build a strong cycling culture. Karoney wants to change that.
Last month, he took the Airpocket team to Rwanda, which hosted the UCI Road World Championships from September 21 to 28, to study Kigali’s thriving cycling ecosystem and explore ways of becoming a pro team.
“We are not yet there,” he assessed. “Kigali has bike lanes, organisation, and, most importantly, passionate fans.”
That fan energy, he says, is the key. “Fans bring sponsors, and sponsors fuel the sport. The atmosphere in Kigali was electric. It showed how much cycling can unite a community.”
Karoney is working to grow Kenya’s fan base and attract government and corporate support. He points to the Jubilee Live Free Race held on October 5 in Nairobi, which attracted more than 3,500 cyclists from over 20 countries, as proof of cycling’s growing popularity.
“Every household has a bike,” he says. “Turn that into organised cycling and you get employment, fitness, and pride.”
His efforts are timely. As Kenyan women cyclists compete in the Africa Women Cycling Championships in Bujumbura, Burundi, and with Kenya set to host the Africa Senior Cycling Championships in Kwale, on November 19-23, the sport’s visibility is climbing fast. Karoney’s dream aligns perfectly with this momentum.
Supported by the Kenya Cycling Federation, he hopes Airpocket will lead a broader movement to elevate cycling from a casual pastime to a professional career path in Kenya.
