Kenya video gamers face uphill battle to make their mark

A contestant (left) reacts during a gaming session against Brian Diang’a (right), 28, a gamer popularly known by his online avatar, Beast, at a demo during an exhibition of gaming electronics in Nairobi. For years, the virtual world of video games was the only place that offered Diang’a an escape from his abusive, alcoholic father and their unhappy home in Kibera but what was perceived as a distraction by his mother turned out to be a career pursuit. — AFP

NAIROBI: For years, the virtual world of video games was the only place where Kenyan gamer Brian Diang’a felt safe from his abusive, alcoholic father and their unhappy home in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum.

“Gaming was my only escape,” Diang’a told AFP, describing a childhood mired in poverty and violence.