Kenyan teams have vowed to reclaim the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) overall title.
The title has remained elusive since 2015 in Huye, Rwanda. Uganda has dominated the regional showpiece since.
Kenya will host this year’s championship in Eldoret. The Kenyan teams were selected during the Brookside Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national term one games at Shimo la Tewa School and Shanzu Teachers’ Training College in Mombasa.
The teams include Laiser Hill Academy, Dr Aggrey, Dagoretti High and Lukenya School (boys’ basketball), Butere Girls, Kaya Tiwi, St Joseph’s Girls Kitale, Olympic (girls’ basketball), Vihiga Boys, Kisii School, All Saints Embu and Upper Hill (boys’ 15s rugby), St Lukes’ Kimilili, Kamito Boys, Highway Secondary and Manyatta High (boys’ handball). Others are Moi Girls Kamusinga, St Joseph’s Girls Kitale, Dagoretti Mixed and Kadika Girls (girls’ handball), Musingu School, St Anthony’s Kitale, St Charles Lwanga and Mpesa Academy (boys’ hockey), Tigoi Girls, St Joseph’s Girls Kitale, Ng’iya Girls, and Mwiki (girls’ hockey).
The rest will be selected during the Term Two national championships. Rift Valley powerhouses St Joseph’s Girls Kitale, under chief principal Rosebella Orwaru, have three tickets for the regional extravaganza in handball, hockey and basketball.
KSSSA Chairman Kipchumba Maiyo commended St Joseph’s, also known as Joga, for presenting the most teams at the national championships. Vihiga Boys coach Abdalla Abubakar said Kenyan teams should go for all the titles.
“In rugby, we have four strong teams. Any team can lift the regional title. We (Vihiga) want to go for it,” said Abubakar. Robert Aran, Dr Aggrey coach and principal, vowed to turn the tables on Laiser Hill.
“We are not going to rest. We go back to the drawing board and train for the FEASSA games,” said Aran, a career lawyer.
St Joseph’s Girls Kitale’s hockey coach John Lusaka vowed to retain their regional title: “Luck was not on our side against Tigoi in the final. We want to dominate the regional hockey scene.”
Director General of Education Elyas Abdi said: “Since Kenya is hosting this year’s FEASSA, we shall field more teams and athletes. We should take advantage and reclaim the lost glory. The overall trophy has been elusive for now 10 years.”
National Olympic Committee Secretary General Francis Mutuku said school games are a critical pathway to the senior ranks.
“You should continue preparing for the inaugural Africa School Games to be held in Algeria and Africa Youth Games scheduled for Maputo in Mozambique. This will be part of preparations for next year’s Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal,” he said.
Kenya Academy of Sports chairman Albert Cege said they will continue to partner with schools in nurturing talent.
“Last year, over 3, 000 athletes benefited from development camps across the country. Training of games teachers and technical officials is ongoing and will continue for the next few weeks,” he added.
