Before Munyua, There Was Kibor: Kenya’s Forgotten Darts Champion of 1975.

As Kenyans celebrate Munyua’s breakthrough at the PDC World Darts Championship, few remember that the country once ruled East African darts—nearly 50 years ago.

In 1975, long before televised tournaments and global rankings, darts in Kenya lived quietly in bars and social clubs. In Eldoret, transport businessman Jackson Kibor threw darts not for fame, but to pass time as he waited for his trucks to return from Uganda.

 

That pastime turned serious.

Kibor’s barroom precision carried him to victory at the Rift Valley Darts Championships, earning him a slot on Kenya’s team for the East African Darts Championships in Arusha. There, with no cameras and little fanfare, he stunned the region to become East African champion.

The reward was extraordinary for the era: Sh35,000 in prize money and a brand-new car worth Sh17,600—proof that darts was far more than a pub game.

When Kibor drove the car back to Eldoret, the news arrived before the newspapers. Neighbours gathered, disbelief spread, and questions followed. How could waiting for trucks and throwing darts produce a champion—and a car?

The headlines soon confirmed it. Long before Munyua put Kenya back on the global darts map, Jackson Kibor had already shown that precision, patience, and quiet focus could make history.