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Simon Mugambi |
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It is very rare to find a gifted sportsman with a kind heart and undying zeal for God. However, when you meet Simon Mugambi, you will not only see a benevolent man with deep love for basketball, but also encounter a true worshiper.
 Born in Nairobi and brought up in Nakuru, the 34 year-old basketball player has not only been a reputable name in the basketball scene, but he has traversed the region representing the country in various international sports assignments. Simon, a Corporal in the Kenyan Army, has always been on the starting line-up for the military side, Ulinzi. The team won the Kenyan premiership title for a record five times from 2002 - 2006 before being disbanded in early 2007.
The avid sportsman has had a passion for sports since his early days at St Joseph Primary School and later at Nakuru High school where he featured in the school’s football, rugby and basketball teams while still in Form two. However, it was after an inter-class sports tournament in high school that his performance in basketball impressed his colleagues, and he considered sticking to playing basketball as his number on sport. He later became a key player in his school’s team which took part in the National School Ball Games.
After finishing high school in 1993, Simon joined Nakuru’s KGGCU, which played in Division II basketball league and rising to become the team’s captain. In 1994, he moved to Posta Basketball team before joining the Kenyan military later that year. During his stint in the army, Simon momentarily stopped playing basketball and joined the Kenya Armed Forces Technical College in Embakasi, where he studied Aeronautical Engineering.
However, it was not long before the enthusiast basketball player leaped back into the sport in 1999. He was recruited into the army side, Ulinzi Basketball Team, which was one of the top teams in the premier league. He toured the continent with Ulinzi, representing the country in various meets, while at the same time enjoying a lengthy reign in the local league.
Simon was honored with several awards during his time at Ulinzi. He was thrice voted the Most Valuable Player in crucial final premier league matches. The six-foot sports player was also part of the basketball team that excelled in the Military Games in 2002, winning Gold. He was also part of the national basketball team that played in the East and Central African Championships in Rwanda in 2007. Kenya won the Bronze.
The first born of four siblings, Simon was brought up in a Christian home and was an ardent church member in Nakuru Baptist. Despite this, he never considered submitting his life to Christ, arguing that he was a good person since he neither smoked nor drunk alcohol.
Things turned around in September 2004. Plagued by an unknown illness, and exhausted from fruitless visits to the doctors, Simon turned to God. He figured that by submitting his life to Jesus, he would be made well and he vowed to forever serve God.
And so on September 12th 2004, Simon surrendered his life to Christ and prayed for healing. True to his hopes, his prayers were answered and Simon was healed and kept his vow and since then, his faith in Jesus has never shifted.
Simon now has his eyes set on the future. He intends to retire soon from both the Kenya Army and basketball and pursue a career in Engineering. He also has plans to set up a center to mentor young talent and possibly go into coaching basketball. To add to this, he harbors a desire to go into ministry, especially marriage counseling.
Besides playing basketball and serving in the military, Simon who is married and is a father of two, a five year old girl and a two year boy, loves listening to Gospel music and reading newspapers. The affable military man says that his life is largely entwined in Psalm 37:4 which states:
“Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart’s desires.”
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