Japheth Kariakim: Commitment to Movement

Countless times we’ve seen our flag hoisted on international stages, our athletes proudly standing with their medals, and we think, “we’ve done it again!” The journey towards that memorable moment, for the athletes, requires dedication, training, and medical assistance. Behind these wins, are the daktaris who have dedicated their time to ensure our champions are in the best shape to compete – and win. This brings us to our health worker of the day, Japheth Kariakim.

Growing up in Lodwar, there was so much Japheth could choose to indulge in, but his heart was drawn to sports. For the first five years of primary, he attended Lodwar Primary School. When he wasn’t competing in friendly races with his peers, he was playing football. On weekends and holidays, he would accompany his elder sister to work; she was a nurse at a nearby hospital. Seeing the patients walk in with problems and walk out assured they would get better intrigued him, and he looked forward to the hospital visits. When he finally shared with his sister that he was interested in becoming a doctor, she informed him of the broadness of the profession and advised him to consider physiotherapy – a branch of medicine that dealt with medicine and sports.

In class six, Japheth transferred to Makutano Primary School, a boarding school in West Pokot. Dedicated to his studies, he completed with stellar grades that granted him access to Chewoyet High School, a provincial school in Kapenguria. Here still, he prospered both in the classroom and in sports. While he had become an excellent runner with the potential of joining the national athletics team, Japheth still had his sights set on becoming a medic.

His love for sports and his avidity for medicine ushered him towards physiotherapy. He joined the University of Nairobi where he majored in Physiotherapy. After four intense years, Japheth graduated. He landed his first job with the Ministry of Health. In 2000, he was assigned to the junior athletics team for the African Championships in Algeria. His presence was crucial in ensuring the well-being of our young stars. The thing that stood out for Japheth during this brief time away was that the needs of athletes were very different from those of the hospital patients he was used to. Most were referred to him after surgery, whereas the athletes’ needs were daily and needed just as much attention.

He returned with more zeal that led him to enroll at JKUAT for his Masters; the tertiary institution had just rolled out a new postgraduate program in physiotherapy. He doubled this with his work, which by then included working with athletes.

For the most part, Japheth was satisfied but he had an itch. He was eager to do more, and this led him to the doors of the Sports Injuries and Wellness Clinic in Nairobi. Here, he would meet clients with a number of disorders from overused muscles to torn ligaments to fractured muscles, and he’d work with them, seeing them through to their recovery period.

Today Dr. Japheth spends the first half of his day at Mbagathi Hospital, and his afternoons tending to athletes and patients at the clinic. He is also the lead physiotherapist for the Beyond Zero Half Marathon team where he works closely with First Lady Margaret Kenyatta each year as she prepares for the charity sporting event.

We appreciate #KeHealthWorker Japheth Kariakim for his go-getter spirit that never dimmed but more so for his dedication to his work and his patients.