)
The ‘Roaming Chef’ has become an internet sensation due to his finger-licking delicacies.
Former Kenya Sevens star Dennis Ombachi has explained how cooking helped him overcome mental health issues that nearly made him commit suicide.
Ombachi represented Shujaa at the peak of their powers, featuring in the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup as well as the 2016 Rio Olympics, and was one of the key players for the side at the time.
)
19:52 - 23.05.2023
RUGBY Shujaa’s silver lining as Kabras duo make London Sevens dream team
The two Kenya Sevens players have been recognised for their brilliant performance in the final leg despite the team’s relegation
However, his stint was interrupted by several injuries that would make him retire from the sport sooner than he had hoped and the pain and setbacks took their toll on him mentally.
“I’ve been through four to five major surgeries, they affected me mentally more than they did physically,” Ombachi told CNN.
)
17:56 - 23.05.2023
STARS ABROAD Brazilian giants tempt Michael Olunga with Ksh55.4 million salary
The forward can join the club on a free transfer in the off-season transfer window.
He would turn to drinking and drugs to deal with the pain and at some point, attempted suicide. Unbeknown to him, he had developed a mental illness but it was until 2018 that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental illness associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
“Even before I was diagnosed, I had periods of mood swings and depression. I would lock myself sometimes at home, drink a lot, do a bit of drugs just to numb my feelings, and then it sort of escalated at some point. That is the first time I attempted suicide,” he added.
The suicide attempt was a wake-up call for Ombachi and he knew he either had to face the issue head-on or allow it to escalate. It had been difficult to talk about it due to the stigma associated with mental problems. However, he got the courage and admits that was the best decision he ever made.
“There is a lot of stigma in Africa because when I was diagnosed, it took me two to three years to tell my parents. They understood, were supportive but now it’s just about breaking the stigma and opening to it. There is a healing feeling that came to me after I started talking about it,” said Ombachi.
)
13:00 - 23.05.2023
RUGBY Explained: Shujaa’s tough route back to the World Sevens Series
Kenya Sevens have a difficult task of regaining their core status and the journey begins at the Africa Men’s Sevens set to take place in Zimbabwe in September
The father of two says becoming a parent also shaped his healing journey before cooking made things even better. Ombachi is now a renowned chef who has become an internet sensation due to his finger-licking delicacies.
“I used to watch loads of videos of people cooking especially the time I was injured,” said Ombachi.
)
05:30 - 23.05.2023
RUGBY ‘Jokers got Kenya Sevens relegated’ – Former Shujaa Lucas Onyango laments after fateful outcome
After participating in the elite competition for almost two decades, Kenya’s drop was confirmed on Sunday.
“Becoming a dad changed a lot of priorities in my life, I decided to focus fully on my mental health because I need to be present for my kids.”
The ‘Roaming Chef’ as he is popularly known, now has a number of top brands looking to feed off his skills and new-found fame and in 2022, he won the Tiktok award for top creator in Sub Saharan Africa.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)