He made his international debut in 2008: having come fifth in the national junior race, he was selected for the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and took fifth place on the international stage, helping Kenya to the team title. He repeated national and world placings again in the 10,000 metres – he won the silver medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics in a personal best time of 27:31.65 minutes after having come second at the Kenyan junior trials. He returned to the world stage in 2009, taking a silver medal in the junior race at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships behind pre-race favourite Ayele Abshero. He began competing on the European circuit towards the end of the year, running at the Cross de l'Acier and winning the Course de l'Escalade in Geneva in December.