David Munyua became one of the headline stories during the pre-Christmas action at the 2025/26 PDC World Darts Championship. ‘Why Not’ was the first player from Kenya to compete in the sport’s biggest tournament, and he marked his debut with a surprising 3-2 win over the 18th seed and former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker in the first round.

The 30-year-old had already upset the odds by winning the African Darts Group (ADG) Qualifier, beating the pre-tournament favourite South Africa’s Cameron Carolissen 8-6 in the final in September. Munyua’s triumph in the qualifier saw him write his name into the history books as the first Kenyan to qualify for the PDC World Darts Championship.

For Munyua, World Championship qualification meant a first-ever trip outside of Africa, to be a part of the record 128-player field at Alexandra Palace. And just two days before he was scheduled to face De Decker in the first round, ‘Why Not’ switched darts, replacing his worn-out arrows with a brand new set of Mission Cam Crabtree darts after a trip to a darts shop in London.

“In Kenya we don’t have quality darts shops where you can change your darts,” Munyua told the Weekly Dartscast. “I had the privilege to buy a set of darts, but they didn’t have the grip that I like.

“So I decided to change the darts two days before the tournament (my first-round match against De Decker). I found a very kind shop-keeper and they didn’t know me. We were with my friend Peter Wachuiri. They knew Peter. They sell his darts.

“I told them I’ll be playing at Ally Pally and we chose some darts and they were kind enough to give me those darts, and a board, and a stand. They helped me a lot, so I could practice in my room. That shop, Darts GB, I owe them. They did amazing for me.

“That kind of generosity I didn’t just take it for granted. I was just appearing in their shop for the first time and they were kind enough to give me the equipment I needed. That was very nice for me.”

Munyua was priced as a sizeable underdog for his World Championship debut against De Decker, who despite having a leaner 2025 campaign compared to his 2024 season, which included that memorable major title success at the World Grand Prix, was still expected to run out a comfortable winner over the best of five sets.

However, the Kenyan newcomer had other ideas as he overturned a two-set deficit to win the last three sets and complete a victory that was voted the Weekly Dartscast Upset of the Year for 2025. In fact, that match also saw Munyua grab two more awards, as the podcast’s listeners voted his 135 finish as the Checkout of the Year, and mistakenly finishing 125 instead of 135, as the Miscount of the Year.

“Winning against Mike De Decker was crazy,” Munyua said. “It was a big thing for me. He’s a very experienced player and I was the underdog and it was my first time. I’d never been there before, so winning even a set was a big deal.

“But I was confident enough. I still believed in how I throw my darts and my ability of hitting what I want to hit when I want to. I was privileged to be a fan favourite that day and that really helped me to come back. It helped me to have more energy and to still believe it is possible.”

Munyua’s first-round victory at Alexandra Palace attracted global headlines, and not even a week on from that match the PDC had announced that Africa would receive an extra spot in the World Championship, doubling up from one to two spots from 2026/27 onwards.

The ADG’s African Continental Tour in 2026 will feature six events across the Northern and Southern regions, whilst the ADG has announced that Africa will receive a second spot in the PDC World Cup of Darts going forward, with South Africa to be joined by another African nation that wins through a qualifier.

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“In my country everything went crazy,” Munyua reflected. “Everybody was asking ‘who is this David Munyua? What is this dart game?’ Also my president was commenting and every senior citizen was posting my pictures.

“My name has been trending in my country. I can’t go onto the street without people recognising me. Most of the time I’m in my cape and I can manoeuvre around, but not from everyone. ‘Oh, that’s the dart guy!’ It’s encouraging for me. I still have a game to play and it makes me feel like I need to put more effort in, because I have to represent everyone.

“Sponsorship was very difficult to find before, but now in Kenya the notion has changed. It’s not like it used to be. People want to be a part of it and that’s a good thing. If I get the opportunity to go to Europe or any other continent (to play darts) I would really appreciate it. The more exposure I can get I’m sure it will help me get better and better, the more I participate in this game.”

Picture: PDC