KSSSA and Education Officials Visit Kakamega and Eldoret to Prepare for National, FEASSSA Games

KSSSA and Education Officials Visit Kakamega and Eldoret to Prepare for National FEASSSA Games

Officials from Kenya’s Ministry of Education and the national schools sports organization, KSSSA, are starting a four-day visit to check sports facilities in Kakamega and Eldoret. This is to ensure that Kenya is ready to host the 2025 East Africa Secondary Schools Championships, which will bring together top teams from countries like Tanzania, Uganda, Zanzibar, Malawi, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia.

The team, led by Nelson Situma from the Ministry of Education and David Ngugi from KSSSA, arrived in Kakamega a day early and began their inspections on Tuesday.

In a media interview, Ngugi explained that they will evaluate Bukhungu Stadium and local schools in Kakamega to see if they can host the 2025 FEASSA Championship. They will then go to Eldoret to do the same.

Ngugi mentioned that they had heard reports that Bukhungu Stadium might not be available due to renovations for the AFCON Championship, and they are in Kakamega to confirm this.

He also noted that Kakamega was chosen to host the Term Two FEASSA Games since it missed out in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teams from primary schools, Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), and Special Needs Schools will also join the East Africa Schools Championship after their national competitions in July.

Ngugi added that teams from Malawi, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia are expected to compete as well. He recalled that teams from Malawi participated in previous EA competitions in Tanzania.

However, he mentioned difficulties in contacting Ethiopian officials for the games, saying, “We don’t know who exactly to contact.”

In a previous interview, KSSSA Assistant Secretary General Qunito Omusugu explained that the assessment involves checking the sports facilities and accommodations for the teams.

The team will also look at transport options, hotels, security for the games, and the condition of local health facilities, including Kakamega Referral Hospital.

According to a circular from the Ministry of Education, the schools championship is set to start on July 26 with a referee clinic, the opening ceremony on July 28, and will end on August 3. The championship will include Primary Schools, JSS, and Secondary Schools. Earlier reports suggested that the FEASSA Championship was planned for Nakuru City on the same dates.