SCHOOLS: The march to East Africa games gathers pace

After surviving the purge at the lower levels of competitions, regional champions are now set for an epic battle at this year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national Term Two games set for August 1-6 in Kisumu.  

It was not business as usual at the 2024 regionals as most of last year’s winners bowed out of competition. The biggest casualties were in boys’ football which saw national champions St Anthony’s Boys Kitale eliminated at the Trans Nzoia County games by eventual Rift Valley winners St Joseph’s Kitale.

The games also had a fair share of challenges with increased cases of age cheating and crowd trouble. For instance, in Rift Valley region Kabarnet Boys and Itigo Girls were banned after being found guilty of fielding ineligible players.

Last year’s national finalists Dagoretti High from Nairobi, Agoro Sare from Nyanza, Shanderema from Western, Coast’s Serani and Eastern region’s Matiliku Secondary School failed to qualify for the nationals. 

Kirangari High School from Central is the only side from last year's games that retained their regional title. Whether Khorof Harar survive the storm and return to the nationals will be determined at the North Eastern games set for Thursday this week at Takaba Girls Secondary School, Mandera.  

Western champions Musingu High School, who secured their return to the nationals after decades in the cold, will be counting on the experience of their coach Brendan Mwinano for success.

Mwinamo is not a new face at the nationals having led Kakamega High School to four national titles. Mwinamo exuded confidence saying that he knows what to do in Kisumu.

“I’m not new at the national games. I have been there before and won four titles so I know what to do as we prepare and also during the games,” Mwinamo said.

Highway Secondary School from Nairobi will be looking to improve on their 2022 second-place finish. Homeboys Koderobara, Coast champions Dr Aggrey, Eastern’s Machakos Boys and St Joseph’s Kitale will also be eying the national trophy.

In the girls' contest, national champions Butere Girls will be up against St Joseph’s Kitale from Rift Valley, home girls St Alfred Alara and Nyakach Girls, Kombani from Coast, Kinale from Central, Kibauni from Eastern and Nairobi region’s Dagoretti High will be battling for national glory.

With new champions set to be crowned following the elimination of last year’s winners Ruthimitu Mixed Secondary School from Nairobi, the boys' volleyball contest will be a spectacle to watch.

Interestingly, this year’s games will see the return of former titleholders Cheptil Secondary School from Rift Valley and Hospital Hill from Nairobi as well as rookies Milalilu Secondary School from Coast.  

Cheptil, who secured their return to the national games with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 25-14) win over last year’s winners Andersen Secondary School, will be looking to recapture the title they last won in 2022.

Having failed to reach the nationals last year, Cheptil will be out to salvage their pride.

Cheptil captain Justus Keino said they want to make the best out of this year’s competition.

“Last year was not good for us as we relinquished all our titles early in the competition, but we are determined to make up for last year’s missed opportunities. Our main objective is to reclaim our lost glory,” Keino said.

He, however, added that based on competition from other regions, they will have to work harder.

“Going by the results from different regions, the level of competition is very tough because most of the teams that were at the nationals last year have been eliminated. This means that we must work very hard.”

Reigning East Africa champions Friends Boys High School Namwela from Western will also be eying their maiden national gong.

Namwela, who finished third last year, extended their reign at the helm of Western volleyball after beating Butula Boys in straight sets. Matiliku of Eastern, Nyabondo High School from Nyanza and Kiaguthu from Central will also be looking to bag the title.

The girls' contest will see the return of record national and East Africa winners Lugulu Girls from Western. Lugulu, who last featured at the national games in 2017, were overshadowed by Bishop Sulemeti who dethroned them in 2018 and also won the 2019 regional trophy.

They were forced to wait much longer when St Martha Mwitoti, who they dethroned on Saturday, took over the reins in 2022.

National defending champions Kesogon Secondary School from Rift Valley will face an acid test in the high stakes competition that also has East Africa holders Kwanthanze from Eastern who will be out to recapture their crown.

Nyakongo Girls will be looking to impress on home soil, Nairobi’s Soweto Academy, Vyambani Secondary School from Coast, Mpesa Academy from Central and a North Eastern representative will also be in hunt for the trophy.  

In netball, defending champions Oyugi Ogango Secondary School continue to wait with bated breath the hearing and determination of an appeal filed against them by their Nyanza compatriots Nyakach.

Should they be cleared, they will be up against former national winners Kaya Tiwi from Coast, newly-crowned Western champions Bumala AC, Nairobi’s Mbagathi Secondary School, Andersen, Syumile from Eastern and Kinale from Central.

The teams will also be battling for glory in rugby 7s, basketball 3X3, tennis, badminton and table tennis. St Joseph’s Kitale will be looking to dominate boys table tennis.