Hosts Kenya gear up for East Africa showdown

Kenyan boys and girls are yearning to excel at the upcoming Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) games that will be held in Kakamega from August 14-23.

The aim is to dominate their guests, more so Ugandans, in all disciplines and recapture the overall gong that has eluded them for years.

Kenya has for the last four championships played second fiddle to Ugandans who snatched the overall trophy in 2019 during the East Africa games held in Arusha, Tanzania.

Kenya will be out to reclaim their lost glory and prove that they are truly the region’s sports powerhouse.

Last year, Kenya came close to salvaging the overall trophy, but fell short after Uganda grabbed 13 gold medals 14 silver and 11 bronze while the Kenyans had 11 gold, 11 silver and seven bronze medals.

The two sides were engrossed in a neck-and-neck battle that Ugandans won after triumphing in the boys’ basketball and girls’ football finals.

Hosts Amus College and St Noa Girls crushed Kenya’s hopes of reclaiming the overall title.

Amus College edged out Laiser Hill 54-51 to ensure that the boys’ basketball title, which had been won by their compatriots Buddo Secondary School since 2019, remained in Uganda.

St Noa on the other hand beat Butere Girls 1-0 in the football final denying Kenyans the trophy for the fourth year in a row.

Going into this year’s contest Laiser Hill coach Anthony Kirimi said they just want to give their best and make Kenya proud.

“Last year we lost a match. I still believe we shouldn’t have lost but all that is behind us now. We just want to go out there, play our best game and make Kenya proud,” Kirimi said.

Laiser Hill, who reclaimed their national gong and remain East Africa’s most decorated side despite not winning the regional trophy in year’s will lead Kenya’s onslaught at the Kakamega showdown.

National finalists Dr Aggrey, Dagoretti High and Lukenya School who will be making their regional debut will be out to reclaim the title that has evaded Kenya for over a decade. Upper Hill was the last Kenyan side to win the trophy in 2013.

National girls’ champions Butere Cannons, former East Africa champions Kaya Tiwi, St Joseph’s Girls High School Kitale and Olympic High School have their work cut out in the girls’ battle.

Kaya Tiwi won Kenya’s last girls’ basketball title in 2016 when Kenya hosted the games in Eldoret but have failed to achieve the same feat playing away.

Since then, the Kenyan girls have suffered at the hands of their Ugandan counterparts always finishing out of the medal bracket.

For instance, in Mbale, Uganda last year, Buruburu Girls was Kenya’s best performing side after finishing fourth behind winners St Noa, G.S Marie Reine Rwaza from Rwanda and St Mary’s Kitende.

Even so, Kenya will be looking to retain both the boys’ and girls’ basketball 3X3 trophies won by Friends School Kamusinga and Butere Girls.

Newly crowned champions Sigalame High School and Buruburu will lead Kenya in its quest to successfully defend the titles.

Boys’ national finalists Pioneer school, St Joseph’s Kitale who finished fifth in Uganda last year and St Mary’s Yala will be battling for glory in the boys’ category. Tigoi, Ng’iya and Asumbi alongside Buruburu shoulder the responsibility of defending the girls’ title.  

After reclaiming the boys hockey title last year, Kenya will be looking to exert their dominance in the sport.

With Musingu High School and St Joseph’s Girls High School back to defend their titles, Kenya has a strong hockey line-up that will be on a mission to secure a clean sweep in both contests.

Former national and East Africa boys’ champions St Anthony’s Boys High School Kitale will be seeking redemption after last year’s dismal show that saw them miss a podium finish in very many years.

St Charles Lwanga will be looking to improve on their 2024 silver medal while newbies Mpesa Foundation Academy are hoping for a memorable debut.

St Joseph’s will lead Tigoi Girls as well as rookies Ng’iya Girls and Mwiki Secondary School in hunt for the girls’ title. They will, however, face stiff competition from the Ugandans who will be seeking to recapture the trophy that had been won by Kakungulu Memorial in 2019 and 2022 before Nyamira Girls from Siaya County grabbed it in 2023.

It is in football where Kenyans will face a real challenge as the seek to break Uganda’s dominance.

Newly crowned boys’ champions St Joseph’s High School Kitale, Musingu, Highway Secondary School and Agai Mixed face an uphill task as they seek to wrestle the coveted trophy from the Ugandans.

Since the inception of the East Africa games, only two Kenyan schools have won the boys’ title.

St Anthony’s, popularly known as Solidarity Boys, won the inaugural trophy in 2002.

Kenya had to wait for 14 years to win its second trophy in 2016 through Barding Boys High School when the country hosted the games in Eldoret.

The title has been a reserve for the Ugandans with football giants St Mary’s Kitende winning 14 out of 21 trophies. Musingu will be looking to improve on their 2024 third-place finish.

St Joseph’s and Highway  were knocked out of last year’s contest in the preliminaries.

Kenyans will also be out to stamp authority in rugby as they look to defend both rugby 7s and 15s trophies.

Rugby 15s champions All Saints Embu will have everything to play for having relinquished their national gong to Vihiga High School during the National Term One games.

Vihiga, who are the reigning East Africa boys’ rugby 7s champions but opted to chase glory in the longer version of the game, will leave nothing to chance as they look to add a second regional gong in their trophy cabinet.

Former East Africa champions Upper Hill and Kisii School are also eying the 15s title.

St Peter’s Mumias return to the East Africa stage after reclaiming their national gong and will be hoping to end the season on high.

They have been in the cold since 2019 and an East Africa trophy would make up for the years lost.

Koyonzo Secondary School, Bungoma High and dethroned national champions Friends Boys Secondary School Bwake all have set their sights on the trophy.

Kinale Girls Secondary School will be hoping to improve on last year’s silver medal. They go into the contest having achieved their first goal of the year.

They dethroned St Joseph’s who had beaten them in both the national and East Africa finals. St Theresa’s Kithimu and Paul Harris complete the girls’ rugby 7s lineup.

Reigning East Africa girls volleyball champions Kesogon Secondary School, national champions Kwanthanze Secondary School, Bishop Sulumeti and Soweto Academy will be out to extend Kenya’s reign.