Munyua’s ADC Africa Run Ends In Sudden-Death Leg

By Suleiman Mbatiah

Kenyan darts player David Munyua has been knocked out of the ADC Africa Qualifier after a 6-5 loss to fellow Kenyan Benson Ngari in the last 16 at Jacaranda Sports Club in Nakuru.

Ngari won the deciding leg of a tight match to reach the quarter-finals and end Munyua’s bid for a place at the 2026 ADC Global Championship in Portsmouth, England.

The result was a setback for Munyua, who had gone into the continental qualifier as one of Kenya’s main hopes after his appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship.

Ngari will now play Pascal Wanjala in an all-Kenyan quarter-final. Other Kenyans through to the last eight are Peter Wachiuri, Vincent Kimutai, Wycliffe Omariba and Charles Njuguna.

Wachiuri sealed his quarter-final place with a 6-1 win and will face Omariba, while Kimutai takes on Uganda’s Robert Okalany Clegg. Njuguna will meet Uganda’s Patrick Ocheng for a place in the semi-finals.

That leaves Kenya with six players still in contention for the single qualification spot on offer in Nakuru. Ocheng and Clegg are Uganda’s remaining players in the field.

Players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and other African countries have taken part in the three-day tournament, which started on July 24 and ends on July 26.

The winner will qualify for the ADC Global Championship, set for November 1 to 8 at the MODUS Live Lounge in Portsmouth.

The global event will feature 128 players from qualifying competitions in Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Amateur Darts Circuit has switched to a straight knockout format for 2026, replacing the previous group stage.

The tournament has a total prize fund of £126,000, about KSh21.7 million. The winner will earn £20,000, around KSh3.45 million, while every qualifier is guaranteed at least £500.

According to the Amateur Darts Circuit, the competition will be played over seven rounds, with all 16 sessions staged before ticketed crowds and shown live on Pluto TV.

Munyua came to Nakuru with expectations raised by his run at Alexandra Palace in London in December 2025.

The 30-year-old veterinarian became the first Kenyan to qualify for the PDC World Darts Championship after beating South Africa’s Cameron Carolissen 8-6 in the final of the African Darts Group qualifier.

He then pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the tournament on December 18, coming back from two sets down to beat Belgian 18th seed Mike De Decker 3-2 in the first round.

De Decker, the 2024 World Grand Prix champion, missed three match darts before Munyua drew level. The Kenyan completed the comeback with a 135 checkout in the deciding set.

Munyua averaged 80.78 in the match and became the first Kenyan to win a match at the PDC World Championship. He had never travelled outside Africa before qualifying for the event, according to Sky Sports.

His World Championship run ended in the second round with a 3-0 loss to Dutch player Kevin Doets.

Despite Munyua’s exit in Nakuru, Kenya still has a strong presence in the quarter-finals. The eventual winner will need to come through three more matches to secure Africa’s place at the ADC Global Championship.