Fearless Noah Busienei’s sporting journey is a story of versatility, resilience, and passion. His path began not on the track, but on the football field. As a young athlete, Busienei first made his mark in football, where his agility and sharp instincts quickly stood out. His athletic gifts, however, could not be confined to one sport.
For more than two decades, Busienei has dedicated his life to athletics, not just as a runner, but as a mentor, trainer, and outspoken advocate for integrity in Kenyan sports. His story weaves through football, volleyball, middle-distance running, and finally coaching, where he now stands as one of the voices calling for transparency and fairness in athletics.
Yet, Busienei’s true calling emerged when he laced up his running shoes. His speed and endurance, already honed from football and volleyball, naturally translated into success on the track. What began as a side pursuit quickly became the foundation of his athletic identity. As a runner, Busienei pushed himself through rigorous training, competitions, and the discipline required to excel in athletics.
The transition from athlete to coach marked a new chapter.
Drawing from his diverse sporting background, Busienei stepped into coaching with a wealth of experience and perspective. His football days taught him teamwork, his volleyball journey instilled resilience, and his running career gave him the discipline and technical insight crucial for athletics. As a coach, he now channels these lessons into nurturing the next generation of athletes, blending tactical knowledge with motivational mentorship.
Busienei’s story is more than just a career shift—it is proof of the power of adaptability and passion in sports, from the track as a runner to the guiding role of a coach, his journey exemplifies how every step and every sport can shape an athlete’s destiny.
Early Sporting Life
Busienei’s sporting journey began on the football field and volleyball court before his natural speed led him to the track in the early 1990s. As a student at Sergoit and Lelmokwo, he discovered his potential in athletics, starting with the 400m. His breakthrough came when legendary marathoner Ibrahim Kipkemboi Hussein spotted his talent and brought him into his training camp.
“I started my career in football and volleyball before settling in athletics competing in the 400m,” recalls Busienei. “When I turned into athletics, I was signed by Ibrahim Hussein, joining his camp during school holidays, competing in 500m time trials before settling in the 400m.”
The Rise of a Runner
In 1992, Busienei qualified to represent Kenya at the World Junior Championships, though his dream run never materialized. Shortly afterward, he joined the Kenya Air Force, where he completed a three-year diploma before returning to athletics in 1995.
By 1998, he had joined Moses Kiptanui’s camp and later became a pacemaker in the 800m. His international exposure expanded when he trained in the United Kingdom and later linked up with Barnaba Korir in 2002. “That’s when I learned I could run well,” he reflects. In 2004, he joined Gianni’s camp in Europe, before stepping away from competitive running in 2007 to explore business opportunities.
From Runner to Coach
Even as his competitive career slowed, Busienei’s passion for athletics never waned. While at Gianni’s camp, he married and briefly tried road running with his wife before realizing his strength remained in shorter distances. By 2007/2008, he had fully transitioned into coaching, recruiting young athletes and shaping them into competitive runners.
Over the past 20 years, he has become known for his ability to nurture talent from grassroots levels, instilling both discipline and resilience. His athletes have gone on to shine on the local and international stage, extending his legacy far beyond his own races.
Fighting for Transparency in Kenyan Athletics
Busienei has also been a strong voice in the politics and challenges facing athletics in Kenya. He has openly spoken about the damaging effects of doping, not only on individual athletes but also on the nation’s reputation.
“Doping has destroyed the image of our athletes and the country,” he says, noting that clean sport must remain a priority for every coach and federation leader.
With the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo starting from September 13th-19th, Busienei insists that Kenya must rethink how national team coaches are selected. “Kenya has many coaches who should be given an opportunity to lead a national team,” he says. “When the federation names the team after trials, I believe all the coaches whose athletes have qualified should be involved.”
For Busienei, coaching is a calling. He believes athletes perform best when guided by the same coaches who nurtured them to the international stage, rather than being reassigned under new trainers at the last moment.
From Football and Volleyball to the Track
“There should be vetting at the federation so that coaches are given equal rights,” he insists. “The federation should give coaches equal chances.”
Transition from Junior to Senior
Reflecting on his own rise, Busienei credits legends like Ibrahim Hussein for giving him a hand when he was starting out. “If there were no people like Hussein, who held my hands, we could not have gone far,” he recalls.
Today, he laments the shift in athletics camps, many of which he believes are business-driven rather than development-focused. “Now many people have camps for business unlike in our days. I was supported by the right people. Many Kenyan athletes lack facilities, and many young athletes face too many problems, especially with men,” he recounts.
He stresses that many talents fade after school due to lack of consistent support. “As coaches and sports lovers, we want to get talents from the ground. Even coaches lack the means to get the best athletes to nurture. Here I blame Athletics Kenya for lack of sponsoring athletes, but things are changing slowly.”
Identifying Potential in Athletes
Spotting future champions, Busienei says, is never easy—it requires time, patience, and close observation. His method involves bringing athletes together and letting them compete across various distances.
“We normally bring them together, compete in several races, and because of the skills gained, we identify how they swing from 100m, 200m, 400m, to 10,000m. Then after three to four months, you realize the potential race,” he explains.
For Busienei, coaching is not just about drills and programs—it’s about mental sharpness, strategy, and insight. “Coaching is a thinking factor, which is all about coaching and sharpness in whatever an athlete does.”
A Fearless Advocate
Beyond the track, Busienei has remained vocal about issues affecting Kenyan athletics—doping scandals, court battles over Athletics Kenya elections, and the lack of transparency in coach selection. He believes Kenya’s dominance in athletics can only be sustained if integrity, fairness, and inclusivity are prioritized.
In making money, Bush said that it is not easy to get money from managers. That is why Athletics Kenya should concentrate on coaches because managers pay in percentage form or salary or winning bonuses from athletes.
No Kenyans manager
Kenyan athletes have been dominated by foreign managers, who have taken the initiative in ensuring athletes train for international assignments.
Bush says that all management is foreign based because they have education.
“The federation has not started giving ideas on athlete management and we don’t have money to start camps. I have worked with almost five managers in my career. At the same time, athletes don’t listen to Kenyan managers or coaches but foreigners, they are quick,” he said.
Doping as a global cartel
The monster of doping in the county may not be fought as easily as many may think. Busienei says that doping has so many issues, which is a cartel and peoples business.
“It is hard to end doping cases because those who send people to dope are based outside Kenya. The first time I saw a doping story was in 2,000, then the issue was done by a particular doctor.
Before you realize that it is doping, it may take long. Some managers treat athletes in a special way.”
“Doping is normally done on top athletes especially with Erythropoietin (EPO), many are given dripping that they have lost sugar. They over train then they give them water in the name of dehydrating but that is how hoping is done. But now things have changed and the majority affected were ladies from maternity,” he said.
He confirmed that the war on doping is an international movement and to have clean sports, they must start engaging athletes and be jailed for the crime committed.
“Athletes should learn that each drip they are given or medication, they have to be careful. We are forced as Kenyans to follow what the foreign managers do. If coaches that don’t cooperate are chased from the place of camps. Doping is like a life ban on a career.
“As a coach I cannot give a doper any program because I will be wasting my time. Some race organisers don’t accept former dopers, even associating with dopers is a crime,” he elaborated.
Matters Athletics Kenya Elections
With court battles, the federation has not held elections since 2012, which, Bush says, has affected career progression for many, hence missing out on proper direction.
“We lack people to give direction in the federation because they control everything. If you see only five people doing everything across the country, that shows lack of leadership. Majority of officials are elderly who have no reason to leave office,” he said.
The introduction of counties opened doors for local leaders to explore but with lack of proper leadership, they cannot run their activities, not allowing five people to carry everything.
“AK has many challenges in elections, especially with the constitution. When we wanted to go into elections, they went to court and now those elected officials are not working because all rules are run from the national office. We want county officials to manage county events and head office officials should only supervise,” he lamented.
“We thank God that we have a new office in Eldoret, which is good but who runs it?”