Kenyan sprint star Ferdinand Omanyala has addressed why he asked for $50,000 (Sh6.46 million) to race American streamer IshowSpeed, saying that running is his livelihood and every opportunity must make financial sense.
“I am not an influencer, man. I do this for money, and I have big companies like Adidas and Toyota that are paying me because of running. So me coming to something like an exhibition run means I have to stop something that I was doing and come and run,” Omanyala said in a viral video on X.
The 100m specialist added that while the 20-year-old streamer could recover from a possible injury without financial worries, he himself depends entirely on racing for income.
“For him (IshowSpeed), after that run, God forbid he gets an injury, he still continues with his trips even in crutches. So, for me, I need to earn from running. That is why I need to cover my bases,” he explained.
Despite the fee, Omanyala expressed excitement at the prospect of meeting the award-winning streamer and hoped he would accept the terms.
He noted that many young Kenyans would love to witness the exhibition race.
“I am looking forward to his agreeing to our terms, and you know, just have fun. Looking forward to seeing what he can do against me,” he wrote.
Even if the race does not materialise, Omanyala offered to show IshowSpeed around Nairobi and introduce him to local street foods such as ‘katakata,’ ‘smocha,’ and ‘mutura,’ while ensuring medicine is on hand in case of stomach upset.
“I’m hoping that it will happen and if not, just hang out. Nimwoshee base, aende akule katakata na mutura. You know, there’s a place called Klabu, it has katakata and smocha, so I’ll take him there. But I’ll also have medicine standby just in case,” he said.
Omanyala emphasized that if the race happens, it would be a full 100m sprint in a stadium packed with fans.
“If we are running, it has to be serious. I’m not doing 50 meters, not doing 60m. It’s either 100m or not. We need to set blocks in a stadium with fans and make it exciting,” he added.
IshowSpeed arrived in Kenya on January 11 and has since been touring the country, visiting Nairobi National Park, driving with rally driver Ishmael Azeli, and exploring Maasai Mara.
Previously, the streamer has raced a cheetah in South Africa and run alongside Jamaican legend Usain Bolt and American sprinter Noah Lyles.