Kenya's golf icon passes on at 80

David Wandua, one of the best golfers Kenya has ever produced, died early this week, having arrived back home last Friday from India where he underwent two heart surgeries last month.

He developed some complications on his arrival from India and was first admitted at the Metropolitan Hospital in Nairobi before he was transferred to Nairobi West Hospital on Tuesday this week where he passed on the same day.

He started experiencing heart complications late last year and his home club Sigona, where he also run a Pro-Shop, organised a fund raising events to raise funds to enable him travel to India for the surgery.

The 80-year-old Wandua was among the pioneer African golfers in the country along with another veteran professional Lawrence Nginyo Kariuki, the legendary John Mucheru and Jimmy Kahugu. They started playing golf at Ndumberi, popularly known as “St Andrews", which was founded by Nginyo Kariuki and others in 1963.

As an amateur like the late Mucheru, Wandua won most of the major golf events in the country and represented Kenya in many international events including the Africa Zone Six Championship.

Wandua turned pro in the mid-1990s and played an active role in the transformation of the professional golf body in the country before retiring from active events almost a decade ago.

He will be remembered for his strict adherence to golf etiquette and the rules of the game. Past Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Harrison Kinuthia, also a member of Sigona, described Wandua as one of the best match play golfers in the country.

Popularly known as "Jogoo wa Sigona", Wandua is survived by three children.