Mbavu Destroyer shares emotional story of losing his brother and growing up in hardship
By Steve Ireri, March 29, 202625-year-old boxing sensation Ferdinand Omondi, popularly known as Mbavu Destroyer, has opened up about the struggles he faced while growing up and the pain of losing a brother.
Speaking in an interview with the Mic Cheque podcast on Sunday, March 29, 2026, Mbavu revealed that he is the third-born in a family of six siblings, having originally been seven before his brother tragically passed away.
“So, in my family, I am the third born, and we are six siblings. But we were seven, because my brother died,” he narrated.
He shared that his upbringing was split between Nairobi, where his father stayed, and his mother’s village, where he spent most of his childhood.
“My sisters are now married. I grew up here in Nairobi, and later I went back to the village where I stayed. I was born upcountry in the village because that is where my mum was staying at the time. My father was staying in Nairobi then, but my mum and I were in the village. That’s why now, in everything I do, I prefer to be with my mum,” he added.
He recounted the challenges of growing up in the village, where poverty often forced him into difficult circumstances.
While attending primary school, he would walk barefoot and often return home during breaks to help his mother toil in the shamba, sometimes going back to class without having eaten lunch.
He described how his mother worked tirelessly to ensure that the family could survive despite limited resources.
“I stayed in the village during my childhood and faced many challenges. I went to school barefoot. Back then, things were not easy. In primary school, we used to take a break and go home to eat lunch, but I would often find that my mum had not cooked because she was tilling the shamba. I would help her a bit and then go back to school without eating anything. She had no choice but to work hard in the shamba to see if we could have something of our own,” Mbavu noted.
Later, his father invited him to move to Nairobi, even though he did not have a well-paying job at the time.
Mbavu joined a local primary school on Jogoo Road in Class 5, bringing with him the resilience and determination shaped by his village upbringing.
He shared that his tough early experiences also revealed his boxing talent, as he instinctively defended himself when faced with challenges from classmates.
“Later, my father invited us to stay with him in the city, even though he didn’t have a very good job. When I came to Nairobi, I was in Class 5. I brought with me the mindset I had from the village: if anyone tried to cross my path, I would defend myself. That’s how I discovered that I have a talent for boxing,” he added.