Nairobi Big and OH 2026

Twenty-four podium positions were contested across eight events, and every single one went to host-nation competitors. Nairobi Big and OH 2026 brought 28 competitors to Highway Secondary School in Nairobi, Kenya on April 18, 2026, delivering 10 rounds of high-energy speedcubing action. By the end of the day, Kenyan solvers had claimed all top-three places in every discipline on the schedule, asserting complete control over the leaderboards from the traditional twisty puzzles to the big cubes.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest stood at the center of the cubing competition, drawing 27 solvers across two rounds of play. Derick Bundi took the main title, delivering a gold-medal average of 11.28 seconds along with a sharp 10.34 single. Mathias Ile secured the runner-up spot with a 12.12 average, while Myles Kinyita locked in third place at 12.27. These decisive 3x3 results capped a day of intense speed cubing at the venue.

Eman Kabiru staged a dominant performance throughout the competition, securing four individual titles across diverse puzzle formats. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Kabiru claimed first place with a 49.83 average and a 46.89 single, finishing ahead of Myles Kinyita in second at 58.80 and Derick Bundi in third at 1:04.46. Kabiru also topped the Pyraminx final with an average of 7.28, steered Megaminx to victory with a mark of 1:06.63, and added the Skewb crown with an 8.92 average.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event tested dexterity on the standard Rubik's Cube with a single hand, where Hymme Owendo captured gold with an average of 23.13 and a rapid 17.24 single. Eman Kabiru followed in second place with a 27.46 average, while Myles Kinyita took third place at 31.05. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Imani Ritho raced to victory with a winning average of 3.10 and a best single of 2.68, leading Myles Kinyita at 4.31 and Marvel Lio at 4.71 on the podium.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, Kelvin Githiari Waturi secured the title with an average of 2:01.05 and the round's fastest single at 1:53.34. Miles Mwithukia took second place with a 2:37.47 average, and Mark Otieno Achar completed the podium in 3:04.84. Waturi added more hardware across the schedule at Nairobi Big and OH 2026, earning silver in Pyraminx with an 11.00 average, silver in Megaminx at 1:26.47, and bronze in Skewb at 10.79 behind runner-up Seth Etana Zaki at 10.17.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors notched notable breakthroughs. Ryan Rureri made major strides in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a personal best of 2:00.15 to cut 39 percent off his previous benchmark. Nadab Murithi Gitonga took on seven separate events, finishing fourth in the 5x5x5 Cube, logging a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 3:18.04, a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 3:35.75, and a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.78 that improved his past mark by 30.6 percent. Jayden Mia shaved 29 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube personal best with a time of 31.46, placed fifth in Pyraminx, and logged a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 11.91 alongside a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 2:47.43.

The depth of progress continued across the lineup. Len Kitulu Mulwa set improvements across three disciplines, clocking a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 2:39.20 that was 17.3 percent faster, a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 32.60 that improved by 16.4 percent, and a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 9.95. Sandra Njeri logged a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 2:16.17, marking a 14 percent improvement, alongside a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 2:20.24 and a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 3:50.12. In the 3x3x3 Cube, Prahlad Varsani lowered his personal best by 7.8 percent to 21.20, while Aiden Wainainah recorded a personal best of 22.61 and Lynndon Martins registered a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 30.99.

First-time entrants also made their mark in their initial WCA competition appearances. Timiza Kaumbuki logged a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 40.87 and reached 11th place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an initial mark of 1:51.56. Griffin Githinji Kimani made a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 14.18 and a 3x3x3 Cube time of 50.99, while Hekey Owendo posted an opening 2x2x2 Cube single of 16.02. Levin Onala Ochieng and Kyle Bukhala completed their first standard cube attempts at 25.39 and 31.34 respectively.

The full sweep across all eight disciplines demonstrated the remarkable concentration of talent in Nairobi, Kenya. With memorable performances from experienced champions and ambitious newcomers alike, Nairobi Big and OH 2026 wrapped up as a showcase of national excellence, setting a compelling foundation for all participating solvers as they prepare for the next season of competitive solving.