Kenyn Boro, a 16-year-old girl, has earned the nickname "the Master" for her command of wushu, or Chinese martial arts, at her secondary school in Kiambu County, Kenya. She not only teaches wushu to her peers at school but also shares her skills and experiences with her family, turning her home into a lively training ground. Every afternoon after school, Boro trains for two hours at the local club, then moves tables and chairs out of the living room at home to create an improvised training space, coaching her mother and two older brothers in basic forms and tai chi.

Boro began learning Chinese martial arts at age seven and never stopped, becoming the only one to persist in her original beginner group. After nine years of practice, she has won three medals in the Kenya Wushu National Championships since 2021. 

"Kung fu has made her responsible and highly disciplined," her mother, Ruth Wanjiru, said. 

Boro's experiences mirror the rapid growth of Chinese martial arts in Kenya—today, in Kiambu County alone, more than 4,000 students in 24 public primary schools practice through clubs set up by the Kenya Kungfu Wushu Federation.

Ngaruiya Njonge, president of the federation, believes that spreading martial arts throughout schools, institutes, the army, and other institutions in Kenya could help people become more disciplined and resilient.

"Kung fu changes children in ways they can't always describe," Njonge said. "If they abandon it, they risk drifting into bad habits. That is why we keep encouraging them to train." 

Njonge began learning martial arts in 2000 at age 18 under a local coach who had trained in China, then continued studying independently through YouTube videos after his teacher left. He has since established eight branches across major towns, including Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Eldoret.

Promoting wushu has faced challenges including funding shortages and limited training venues, yet Njonge persists, inspired by transformations he witnesses in his pupils.

"Sometimes I think about giving up," he said, "but my students wake me up. I can see what I've taught them in their performances at the tournament." 

In September 2025, supported by the Chinese embassy in Nairobi, Njonge accompanied two students on a cultural and martial arts exchange trip to China, where they learned tai chi and visited the Shaolin Temple in Henan province. One student, Elvis Munyasya, who has practiced wushu for 10 years after being inspired by the 2008 film The Forbidden Kingdom, plans to improve his Chinese skills to connect more closely with Chinese instructors.

 
 
 
 
 

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