Seth Akampa is a little-known athlete, not because he has not broadly appeared on the local athletics scene but because of his down-to-earth character.

The 23-year-old made a glorious return from Muscat decorated with a gold medal he won in the men’s long course at the 2024 FISU World University Cross Country Championship on Sunday in the Oman capital, when he crossed the tape in 0:29.12 minutes, beating his closest challengers Miguel Baidal Marco from Spain and Baptiste Fourmont of France, who finished second and thirst on 0:29.23 and 0:29.25 minutes respectively.

Akampa would not have recorded any different story, if Uganda had not been at the forefront of the World University competitions with the likes of Dismas Yeko, Joshua Cheptegei, and Winnie Nanyondo, having won this accolade before.

But his story is different for he comes as a surprise winner to many Ugandans.

While other runners could have had a chance to grow their talent through school and clubs at different levels before becoming national and international stars, Akampa’s school athletics story is such an inferior one for he never went past the district border.

A footballer turned runner

A former football player, Akampa decided to let go of the popular game because he realised he would do well running, even when he was not allowed to compete beyond the district school's competitions.

His six years of secondary school studies at Kyabenda SS in Kamwengye district did not give him any exposure as the district was unable to facilitate athletes to national USSSA competitions, which kept him under the shade, even when he was doing well at secondary school district competitions.

It was not until he joined Bishop Stuart University (BSU) Mbarara three years ago, that he was incorporated into the Mbarara City Athletics Club, under coach Abudallah Byabagambi.

The breakthrough

A 3rd year Law student at the Mbarara-based institution, Akampa’s first competition he represented his university was during the 2022 East Africa University games at Ndejje, where he won a double silver in the 5000m and 10000m.

This was a beckon of hope for him. He made times that qualified him to the Uganda team for the 2022 FISU games in Chengdu, China but an injury he picked towards the games could not do him better in the competitions.

He returned a changed and determined runner, the courage he carried up to the Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS) organised Inter University games at UCU in December last year where he clobbered his maiden gold in 10000m after hitting the tape on 33:12.08 minutes before adding a silver in the 5000m race to his collection.

Oman Heroics

Akampa is a consistent runner who paces with endurance while calculating every situation of the opponents, his speed, what he wants and the energy at hand.

This makes it very difficult for his opponents to understand him and on such a teasing course under sunny and hot conditions in Muscat, Akampa paced intelligently against the rest of the 41 competitors for the major part of the course before breaking away to finish unchallenged.

Humble family background

Akampa was born on 08/03/2000 in Nyabyondo village, Kyogo parish, Kamwezi in Rukiga district formerly Kabale, to Mr Kenneth Tweheyo and Enid Ninsiima and is the second born of 5.

His father who is a medical worker at Rukunyu Hospital, decided to shift the family to near his workplace in Kamwengye, where Akampa attended all his studies from Vision Nursery and primary school Kamwengye through Kyabenda SS where he completed S.6 before joining BSU.