Dennis Ombachi: How Depression, Rugby and a Nairobi Balcony Made Him ‘The Roaming Chef’

Dennis Ombachi’s journey from Kenya’s rugby sevens team to becoming one of Africa’s most recognised food content creators is a story of resilience, reinvention and finding purpose after adversity.

Former Kenyan rugby sevens star Dennis Ombachi, popularly known as “The Roaming Chef,” has built an impressive second career after walking away from professional rugby.

Ombachi, who was born on December 14, 1990, represented Kenya at the 2016 Rio Olympics and featured in major international competitions, including the Rugby World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

Today, millions of people know him for his cooking videos, signature balcony kitchen and famous “Done!” catchphrase.

But behind the social media success is a much more difficult personal journey.

From rugby hero to a difficult period

Ombachi was a forward and winger for the Kenya Sevens national team and became one of the country's notable rugby players.

In November 2015, during Kenya’s Olympic qualification campaign against Zimbabwe, he scored a late try that helped secure Kenya’s qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

However, a serious leg and ankle injury in 2017 changed the course of his rugby career.

Ombachi has previously spoken publicly about struggling with depression, saying the condition existed even before his rugby career but became more difficult to manage during the later years of his playing career.

He has also spoken about self-harm and two suicide attempts, as well as being hospitalised several times before he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018.

The diagnosis, he later said, helped him understand some of the experiences and behaviours he had struggled with throughout his life.

Rather than allowing the diagnosis to define his future, Ombachi eventually found an outlet in cooking.

Cooking became his escape

Cooking became more than just a hobby for the former rugby player.

Ombachi has described cooking as something that helped him cope during difficult periods and gave him a sense of purpose after rugby.

His interest in food had developed during his rugby career, when travelling around the world exposed him to different cuisines and cooking styles.

He drew inspiration from the food he encountered in places such as Hong Kong, Dubai and Las Vegas, while also watching cooking shows featuring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

He eventually started a culinary blog and began offering cooking services at private events.

This was when the name “The Roaming Chef” began to take shape.

COVID-19 forced another change

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought events and social gatherings to a standstill, Ombachi's cooking business was also affected.

Instead of abandoning his new career, however, he adapted.

He began making and selling homemade chilli sauces and continued experimenting with food from his home.

With cooking inside the house becoming increasingly difficult after the arrival of his son, Ombachi moved his cooking operation to the balcony of his Nairobi apartment.

Using his interest in woodwork, he reportedly built his own outdoor cooking station.

That balcony would eventually become the backdrop for the videos that transformed his career.

The balcony that became famous

Ombachi began creating short cooking videos, showing viewers how he prepared different meals in a simple and entertaining format.

At the end of his cooking process came his now-famous word:

“Done!”

The videos quickly attracted attention, and his following grew across social media platforms.

What began as cooking from a Nairobi apartment balcony eventually turned into an international digital career.

Ombachi has reportedly amassed millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram, while his content has attracted viewers from Kenya and around the world.

His videos combine food, Kenyan culture, humour and personal storytelling, helping him stand out in an increasingly crowded social media space.

The TikTok award and reported millions

Ombachi's success on social media has also earned him major recognition.

He won the 2022 TikTok Award for Top Creator in Sub-Saharan Africa, further cementing his status as one of the region's leading content creators.

Reports have claimed that he earned approximately KSh 3.2 million from a single TikTok award.

However, the reported figure should be treated with caution unless independently confirmed by TikTok or Ombachi himself.

His achievements have also included participation in TikTok's Change Makers Programme, through which he received a $25,000 grant to support the work of Mtoto News, an organisation focused on amplifying the voices of African children and young people.

From a Nairobi balcony to global recognition

Ombachi's influence has gone beyond cooking.

His content has increasingly touched on issues such as mental health, youth empowerment and digital literacy.

He has encouraged young people to speak openly about mental health and has used his personal experiences to show that difficult circumstances do not necessarily have to determine someone's future.

His growing profile has also attracted major commercial partnerships, reportedly including brands such as KFC, Carrefour and Kenchic.

One of the most memorable moments in his career came when he hosted French President Emmanuel Macron on his famous Nairobi balcony.

Ombachi prepared a traditional Kenyan meal featuring ugali and sukuma wiki, giving the otherwise ordinary apartment balcony an extraordinary moment of international attention.

He also remembered where he came from

Despite his success, Ombachi has spoken about the financial challenges he experienced during his earlier years.

He has reportedly revealed that he used approximately KSh 1.7 million from his Olympic earnings to build a home for his parents.

The decision reflected another side of his journey: using the opportunities he had earned through rugby to support his family.

His dream is bigger than social media

Ombachi's ambitions do not end with TikTok or Instagram.

He has spoken about eventually opening his own restaurant.

Among the people he would love to host on his famous balcony are his culinary inspiration Gordon Ramsay, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and former US President Barack Obama.

For now, however, his balcony remains one of the most recognisable symbols of his journey.

It represents how a difficult period in his life eventually became the starting point for something completely different.

From the rugby pitch to the kitchen

Dennis Ombachi's story is not simply about becoming a successful content creator.

It is about rebuilding a life after experiencing setbacks.

He went from representing Kenya on the rugby pitch to dealing with injuries, mental health challenges and uncertainty about his future.

Then he found something that gave him purpose.

Cooking.

What started as a personal escape eventually became a profession, a social media empire and a platform through which he could connect with millions of people.

His story is a reminder that sometimes the path forward does not look anything like the path you originally planned.

A rugby career ended.

A cooking journey began.

And somewhere on a Nairobi balcony, a new chapter was created.

For Ombachi, the word “Done!” may be the ending of every cooking video.

But his story is proof that one ending can also be the beginning of something much bigger.