How Kenyan rocket enthusiast is fueling the country's space ambitions

The small rocket streaks into the Kenyan sky as a crowd of wide-eyed children cheers. 

For Eugene Awimbo Aloo, this isn't just a hobby but a deeply personal mission carrying both grief and hope.

Eugene's space education center was originally called Binguni Cosmic Park, with binguni being the Kiswahili word for "heavens."

But the name proved tricky for many, especially international visitors who struggled to spell and pronounce it.

"I noticed that people, especially internationally, were having difficulty spelling Binguni and would embarrass themselves trying to say it," Eugene recalls with a gentle smile.

He began considering other names. 

Then tragedy struck. When his young son, Eon, passed away, Eugene found a new meaning in the name. 

"Eon has to do with stretches of time and space. When you say it, it brings cosmic vibes," he explains. 

In honor of his son, he renamed the park Eon Cosmic Park. Today, the center located around 28 kilometers from Kenya's capital Nairobi stands as both a workshop and a classroom.

Miniature rockets, detailed replicas of SpaceX's Starship, and heavy lift launch vehicles line up the space. Visitors, especially schoolchildren, walk away inspired and some have even switched to studying aeronautics because of what they saw here. 

"This is where people learn about rocketry and space. We want Africa to be one of the major players in space exploration," Eugene says, gesturing around the park. 

Kenya already has eyes on the stars. The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) is slowly building national capability, but the gap between ambition and reality remains wide. Eugene believes practical demonstration is the way forward. 

Instead of presenting sketches and seeking handouts, he started building. 

"We figured that we should start from somewhere instead of just producing sketches and asking for support as it would not work. I just wanted to prove that we can do something," he explains. 

His models stand as proof. Detailed, impressive, and entirely Kenyan-made. 

Yet turning them into working rockets capable of launching satellites is the next, much harder step.

According to Eugene, funding is the biggest barrier. Eon Cosmic Park remains self-funded, though he has begun engaging with the KSA. 

Officials have invited him to seminars and encouraged collaboration, but concrete financial support has not yet materialized.

Still, Eugene remains optimistic. 

"I don't think we (Africa) are so far behind when it comes to being part of space exploration activities," he says. 

Across the continent, new space ventures are emerging, from satellite projects in Rwanda and Nigeria to growing interest in earth observation and communications. 

Critics often push back. Many tell him Kenya should focus on immediate problems like food security and disease rather than "looking to the stars."

But Eugene believes differently. "We also need to explore, not just think of our problems."

His message resonates especially with young visitors. 

"When schoolchildren come and see a model like this, their jaws drop and they get inspired. Who knows? In the future they could be one of the major players in the space industry."

To move from models to reality, Eugene is actively seeking partners. 

"For us to scale this further, we need collaborations with people who are in the know mechanically and avionically," he says. 

Invitations have been sent to universities, and he continues reaching out to engineers and institutions willing to help build a functional rocket. 

Eugene's journey is still in its early stages, but his determination is clear. In a country where space ambitions once seemed distant, one man's backyard rockets are proving that Africa's place among the stars may be closer than many think.

CGTN Africa's Gabriel Rotich contributed to this report.