David Kinjah and his connection with Chris Froome

When Chris Froome climbed onto the world stage in 2012 coming second to his team colleague Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France, he was asked the question:  Who has been the most influential person in your cycling career?  His response was David Kinjah and his late mother.  Who is David Kinjah?

David Kinjah will be joining us here in Norway to ride the North Sea Race this year from his native country Kenya.  David is 42 years old.  He first started cycling at age 23 in 1994 and within 2 years he had taken up cycling as his full time occupation.  He joined the Italian Pro-cycling team Index Alexia end of 2002  season and quickly earned the nickname “Lione Nero” (The Black Lion)  as he successfully became a serious contender among the pro ranks.

End of 2003 David returned to Kenya where he dedicate his time to riding for his country and developing cycling as a sport in Kenya.  He had moved from the coastal town of Mombasa to the outskirts of Kenya’s capital Nairobi at 1900 metres altitude.  Here he had attracted a small team of riders, many of who came from underprivileged backgrounds.  Thus began his dream to bring up  young riders to compete in the Tour de France.

In 1999 Jane Froome heard about David Kinjah’s work with young cyclists.  She approached David and asked if her son could join him during the school holidays.  Chris Froome was 11 years old.  He had borrowed a bike from his school teacher.  He had a white skin which differentiated him from all the other boys.  His home during the school holidays and for most weekends and after school hours for the next 4 years was to become David Kinjah’s house.  A collection of rustic huts in a Kikuyu village where a lot of time is dedicated to team work, different sport activities, life skills and to cycling.  The space is limited and David and the young boys sleep with bikes hanging from the ceilings above their beds.  Where during the day, the young cyclists train to become champions and learn how to become one with their bicycles.

Chris Froome went to high school in South Africa from 2003 to 2006 but returned to visit his mother and his cycling friends in Kenya during his school holidays.  Chris represented Kenya with David Kinjah in the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne Australia and in 2007 Chris won the first ever cycling medal for Kenya in the All Africa games in Algiers, Algeria.

In 2008, David Kinjah established the Safari Simbaz Charity Trust whose objective was to formalise the collective work that he had achieved in promoting cycling in Kenya.   He had established a reputation as a community leader helping many young people develop a career in cycling.  The cycling fraternity in Kenyan is small but growing daily.  They have been incredibly supportive.  They all have the greatest admiration for everything that David Kinjah has achieved with so modest means.  His dedication to everything he does in the community is an inspiration to all that know him. Last December, Kinjah was nominated for the community Hero award at the SOYA awards 2014, that he later won at the awards gala night. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHYZ2kLf6BI)

The charity’s current project is to buy some land on which a cycling academy will be built to house young cyclists who have the potential to develop into professional riders.  Those who do not find places in professional cycling teams will learn to work as cycle mechanics as well as develop skills for the various other opportunities that will present themselves in cycling both in the tourist industry and in the cycling sport industry.  The Academy will provide a high altitude base for international cycling visitors to train and visit the beautiful countryside that Africa’s most friendly nation has to offer.  The North Sea Race is proud to be part of this cycling development program.


For more info see http://www.safarisimbaz.com