Some young Kenyans turn to kung fu for self-improvement in difficult times

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Growing up on the semi-arid plains of eastern Kenya, Evans Munzaa had planned his future. He envisioned an information technology job, a wife and two children by age 30.

But the 31-year-old father hasn't had a formal job since completing college 10 years ago, and he doesn't live with his daughter and her mother, citing “meager earnings that cannot sustain a family.”

Now Munzaa has taken an interest in the Chinese martial art of kung fu to occupy his time and seeks to become a full-time coach. He hopes the Kenyan government, which allows kung fu groups to train in its facilities, will grant funding to a sport that is gaining popularity among young people.

“I have been forced to find ways to survive and earn a daily wage in the informal sector as a thespian, farmer and doing menial jobs despite my widowed mother sacrificing so much to pay my education,” he told The Associated Press while attending a free training at a community hall in Nairobi’s Waithaka neighborhood.

A growing number of young people in Kenya see kung fu as a path toward future income. It has emerged as an alternative to the more popular martial art of taekwondo that is part of some school programs in Kenya and has seen some Kenyans compete in international competitions.

The growing visibility of Chinese workers in Kenya for major infrastructure projects also has sparked an interest in their culture in a country globally known for its runners.

Coach Kennedy Murimi trains dozens of children and youth in Nairobi's Kawangware neighborhood and has noticed a significant increase in learners. He said the number of people attending his trainings has tripled in recent months to about 60.

“This year there have been more young people joining us. Most of them are saying they’ve lost their jobs and are trying out kung fu to see if they can become coaches or compete in tournaments and get paid,” Murimi said.

Kenya has an overall unemployment rate of 12.7%, but the rate among those under 35 is 67% — part of a wider issue across much of Africa's booming young population.

Ngaruiya Njonge is the president of the Kenya Kung Fu Wushu Federation and was first trained in it 30 years ago after being inspired by Chinese martial arts films.

He conducts training near his home in Kiambu county on the outskirts of Nairobi, where rising levels of alcoholism and crime have raised concerns among local leaders.

According to Elvis Munyasia, one of Njonge’s students, kung fu has helped him.

“Without kung fu, I would be an alcoholic right now,” he said. “Doing some drugs and a lot of bad things, maybe theft, but since I started it has changed my life and it has given me a purpose in life."

In the last five years, about 4,000 students have received free training sessions through kung fu clubs that Njonge has established in 24 public primary schools across Kiambu county. There is a shortage of coaches for them, he said.

He believes that kung fu teaches discipline, improves health and gives people the skills to defend themselves — not just physically but also mentally and socially.

A student, Aisha Faith, said she has improved her school grades due to the precision and discipline acquired during training.

“Kung fu has transformed me physically, mentally and academically. I used to be a slow learner, but ever since I began practicing kung fu, I’ve become sharper and faster, which has significantly improved my academic performance," she said. “It has also helped me steer clear of vices and bad influences, as I now spend most of my time focused on training sessions.”

For Munzaa, kung fu has also been a lifesaver. He said he once contemplated suicide due to financial constraints, but when he started attending training sessions he gained perseverance skills.

The more he trains, the more "my mind is also training to persevere in life,” he said.

Evans Munzaa, 30 years, right, and his coach Kennedy Murimi demonstrate a stance of kung fu, a Chinese martial art, at a training school in Kabiria on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde)

Evans Munzaa, 30 years, demonstrates a stance of praying mantis kung fu, a Chinese martial art, at a training school in Kabiria on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde)

Evans Munzaa, 30 years, right, and his coach Kennedy Murimi demonstrate a stance of kung fu, a Chinese martial art, at a training school in Kabiria on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde)

Evans Munzaa, 30 years, demonstrates a stance of kung fu, a Chinese martial art, at a training school in Kabiria on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde)

Evans Munzaa, 30 years, right, and his coach Kennedy Murimi demonstrate a stance of kung fu, a Chinese martial art at a training school in Kabiria on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde)

Evans Munzaa, 30 years, left, and his coach Kennedy Murimi demonstrate a stance of kung fu, a Chinese martial art, at a training school in Kabiria on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde)

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Dozens of people are presumed dead and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, following a fire at a Swiss Alps bar during a New Year’s celebration, police said Thursday.

“Several tens of people” were killed at the bar, Le Constellation, Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said.

Work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families but “that will take time and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure," Gisler said.

Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the Valais Canton, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. Experts have not yet been able to go inside the wreckage.

“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.

Officials called the blaze an “embrasement généralisé,” a firefighting term describing how a blaze can trigger the release of combustible gases that can then ignite violently and cause what English-speaking firefighters would call a flashover or a backdraft.

“This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Rénard, head of the regional government.

The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, Rénard said.

Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the scene to assist victims, including some from different countries, officials said.

“We are devastated,” Frédéric Gisler, commander of the Valais Cantonal police, said during a news conference.

The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, according to regional councilor Mathias Rénard.

The municipality had banned New Year’s Eve fireworks due to lack of rainfall in the past month, according to its website.

In a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents that could require medical resources that are already overwhelmed.

The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Matterhorn, one of the most famous Alpine peaks, and 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Zurich.

The highest point of Crans-Montana, with a population of 10,000 residents, sits at an elevation of nearly 3,000 meters (1.86 miles), according to the municipality’s website, which says officials are seeking to move away from a tourist culture and attract high-tech research and development.

The municipality was formed only nine years ago, on Jan. 1, 2017, when multiple towns merged. It extends over 590 hectares (2.3 square miles) from the Rhône Valley to the Plaine Morte glacier.

Crans-Montana is one of the top race venues on the World Cup circuit in Alpine skiing and will host the next world championships over two weeks in February 2027.

In four weeks’ time, the resort will host the best men’s and women’s downhill racers for their last events before going to the Milan Cortina Olympics, which open Feb. 6.

Crans-Montana also is a premium venue in international golf. The Crans-sur-Sierre club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course with stunning mountains views.

From left, Mathias Reynard, State Councillor and president of the Council of State of the Canton of Valais, Stephane Ganzer, State Councillor and head of the Department of Security, Institutions and Sport of the Canton of Valais, Frederic Gisler, Commander of the Valais Cantonal Police, Beatrice Pilloud, Attorney General of the Canton of Valais and Nicole Bonvin-Clivaz, Vice-President of the Municipal Council of Crans-Montana during a press conference in Lens, following a fire that broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

A skier walks in the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

A banner stating that fireworks are prohibited due to the risk of fire is pictured near the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)