Kenyan darts sensation David Munyua returns to a hero’s welcome
Kenyan darts star David Munyua received a hero’s welcome when he arrived in Nairobi on Monday from the just-concluded 2026 Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championships in London, England.
Munyua made history by becoming the first Kenyan to compete at the global event, which was first held in 1994. Hitherto unknown, the 30-year-old veterinarian from Kabati in Murang’a County, came from behind to defeat Belgian Mike De Decker 3-2 in his debut match.
Munyua’s first round win was labeled the biggest upset in the history of the competition. He was an unranked player who eliminated a player ranked 18th in the world and first in Belgium.
Munyua’s journey ended in the second round after losing 3-0 to Dutchman Kevin Doets. Yet, Munyua still exited the competition a winner. His performances and the reaction to his victory over De Decker convinced PDC to increase slots for African players from one to two.
The Kenyan darts community almost brought activity at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to a standstill as they hovered around the international arrivals area, chanting, flying the Kenyan flags, and brandishing darts as they waited for Munyua to appear.
When the hero finally surfaced, they filled the air with the chants they had been rehearsing. “501! Whynot! 501! Game shot!” they shouted.
501 refers to the number of points a player has to clear to win a leg in a game of darts. ‘Whynot’ is Munyua’s nickname.
“It is amazing to be back home with another slot for Africa that I did not go with. I am proud that now there will be another Kenyan or African at the World Darts Championships later in the year,” Munyua told the media shortly after landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“I am very grateful for the support that I got. Kenya has a culture of winning and whenever we go out to do our thing, the world loves us. The support I received helped me build momentum in my first match,” he said.
Munyua received plenty of attention following his first round exploits at the Ally Pally — Alexandra Palace, an entertainment venue in London which has hosted the World Darts Championships since 2007.
He won Sh4.3 million in prize money, a sum which he says he will invest in improving his game and uplifting the darts community in the country.
“The prize money is really motivating and inspiring. Kenya has a lot of darts players. This should challenge us to invest more money in darts so that the many darts players we have can earn a living from the sport,” Munyua said.
Munyua raised £1,200 (Sh208,000) for a charity in Kenya when he defeated De Decker after some darts fans contributed £100 for each leg he won.
He also hit eight 180s across his two matches at the competition. 180 is the highest number of points a player can score in a single turn during a leg in a game of darts. The competition’s organisers donated £1,000 (Sh174,000) or more to Prostate Cancer UK for each 180 that was scored during the competition.
Munyua’s eight 180s raised £8,000 (Sh1.39 million) for Prostate Cancer UK.
“A children’s home received the money that was raised for every leg I won against De Decker. During the tournament, the organisers also contributed money to charity for every 180 scored. The fact that my play ends up supporting charity motivates me to play better,” he said.
“The government should fund darts and have structures to support it. There are many players out there, some even better than me who deserve to be boosted. Sports unites Kenyans, and darts is a sport that can be played by all,” he added.
At the same time, Munyua urged Kenyans to support darts by appearing at local tournaments and events.
“We welcome all Kenyans who are interested in participating in growing the sport,” he said.
Munyua was accompanied to England by Tony Kimani, a darts organiser who is a representative of the Africa Darts Group (ADG). It was ADG that organised the qualifiers, which Munyua won to earn a slot at the PDC World Darts Championships.
“PDC has now allowed us one more slot, which now almost guarantees a Kenyan competing at the World Darts Championships every year. That is huge news for us. We are really excited to develop this sport. We have plans this year to include more competitions for women and youth. We are super excited for this year,” Kimani said.
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