Makena picks vital lessons as she begins her rise in the fencing world
Fifteen-year-old Aliyah Makena may not have returned home with a medal, but her appearance at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games has given Kenyan fencing an important platform and the young athlete valuable lessons for the future. Makena became the second Kenyan fencer to compete at an Olympic Games event, following Alexandra Ndolo, who made [...] The post Makena picks vital lessons as she begins…
Fifteen-year-old Aliyah Makena competed in the women’s individual épée at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, representing Kenya for the second time. She finished 13th overall after advancing from the preliminary pool stage to the round of 16 at the Dakar Expo Centre on November 10.
Makena discovered fencing in Grade Nine and competed against Estonia’s Aleksandra Nikolajeva, Hungary’s Lotti Horvath, South Africa’s Nikita Venturas, Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie Kouassi, Ukraine’s Francesca Aina and Peru’s Astrid Bravo. She lost all her preliminary pool bouts, but secured qualification for the direct-elimination stage. She described the group stage as challenging due to unfamiliar opponents and techniques.
Despite not winning any bouts, Makena achieved her goal of putting Kenya on the international fencing map. She hopes her participation will inspire more young Kenyans to take up fencing and build a stronger Kenyan presence in international competitions. Her coach, Georgina Mukami, emphasized the need for consistent training, regular competition, and improved equipment and coaching structures to help Kenyan fencers compete internationally.
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