Grief and grit: How calisthenics became Mumbi Kagombe’s anchor

Mumbi Kagombe, 39, is in a cross-legged resting pose on a wooden plyo box after her morning workout in her backyard in Nairobi, on May 1, 2026.

Photo credit: Sinda Matiko | Nation Media Group

It is hard to take Mumbi Kagombe at her word when she calls herself an introvert, even when she insists on it.

Not on this chilly Nairobi morning, with the air still wet from last night’s rain. Mumbi is anything but quiet. She is a burst of motion and sound – loud, vibey, playful, almost electric – even as she dead-hangs on a calisthenics bar she built in her backyard in one of the city’s swanky neighbourhoods.

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