Jeremiah Njanja: How Hell's Gate Biking Fest was born!

When Jeremiah Njanja first hopped on a bicycle as a boy in Kirinyaga, it was not a smooth ride.

His first lesson ended in a thorny bush, propelled by a not-so-patient cousin eager to ride the Black Mamba bike. 

"After that chaotic first ride I vowed never to ever ride a bike again. But that changed when my uncle gifted me a children's bicycle which planted the seed for a lifelong love for cycling," he says 

Years later, that love would grow into Hell’s Gate Biking Fest, one of the most exciting and fast-growing cycling events, founded and managed by Njanja through his company, Whistle Africa Tours and Events. 

What began as casual weekend cycling hangouts has now evolved into a two-day festival held annually inside the scenic Hell’s Gate National Park.

"The journey started as hangouts where we would ferry guys from Nairobi and Nakuru just for casual weekend rides at the park. We did about six hangouts before we approached Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) with the idea of turning it into a full festival,” Njanja recalls.

KWS agreed to a pilot event in 2022, and the response was strong enough that in 2023, they officially partnered with Njanja to host the event inside the park. 

Njanja says that the first official edition attracted about 300 participants, most of them professional cyclists chasing the cash prize, as recreational riders were still skeptical about spending two days at a cycling-centric event.

 “Convincing recreational riders to spend two full days at a cycling event was tough. They didn’t quite see what was in it for them,” says Njanja.

By 2024, the festival had grown significantly attracting 384 professional cyclists and hundreds of recreational riders, families, and festival-goers. 

The two-day program has races, a festival village, sunrise yoga, and camping. Kids as young as three participate in their own races, some covering up to seven kilometres. 

 “It’s magical to see the little ones out there, competing and having fun,” says Njanja.

When starting out, he notes he faced a major setback in 2023 when political unrest discouraged travel the weekend of the event, leading to a loss of over Sh. 700,000. 

 “There were fears around the ‘Nane Nane ’ protests. Ticket sales dropped drastically, and I made a loss, but that did not dim my spirit,” he says. 

Despite the growing popularity, running the event hasn’t been without hurdles; among them is funding. 

 “You can't run events solely on ticket sales, you also need sponsorships, and it's tough to host an event without the sponsors,” Njanja notes.

He adds that most people are embracing active tourism and fitness, helping the event find its footing beyond just the cycling community.

Njanja notes that the festival is rebranding as the East Africa Biking Fest, striving to attract regional and international cyclists. 

He adds he has been organizing urban cycling festivals in Nairobi, Nakuru, and Eldoret to build a cycling community and amplify road safety advocacy.

"Most Kenyan motorists don’t respect cyclists. We're now shifting focus to advocate for road safety," says Njanja.

Beyond that, he envisions taking the festival beyond Kenyan borders, making it a rotating regional event across East Africa.

“What gives me joy is seeing people bonding over something I create. When I see their excitement, their feedback, their smile, that’s my biggest reward,” he says