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 body have begun a crucial four-day inspection of sports facilities in Kakamega and Eldoret. This assessment is aimed at ensuring the country is prepared to host the 2025 East Africa Secondary Schools Championships, which will attract top teams from Tanzania, Uganda, Zanzibar, Malawi, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia.

The team, which includes officials from the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA), led by Nelson Situma and David Ngugi, respectively, arrived in Kakamega Town a day early and started their evaluation of the sports infrastructure on Tuesday.

In a media interview, KSSSA Secretary General Ngugi stated that the joint team will evaluate the suitability of Bukhungu Stadium and local schools in Kakamega for hosting the 2025 Federation of Eastern Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Championship before moving on to conduct a similar assessment in Eldoret City.

Ngugi mentioned that prior to their arrival in Kakamega, they had received unverified reports suggesting that Bukhungu Stadium might not be available for the East Africa Schools Games due to ongoing renovations for the AFCON Championship. The team is in Kakamega to confirm this information and assess the stadium’s readiness for the games.

He also pointed out that Kakamega Town has been selected to host the Term Two FEASSA Games, as the Western Region’s main town was unable to do so in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Teams from primary schools, Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), and Special Needs Schools that qualify through their national competitions in July will also take part in the upcoming East Africa Schools Championship,” Ngugi added.

He noted that school teams from Malawi, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia are expected to participate in the EA Schools Championship.

“Malawi’s school teams have previously competed in the EA Schools Competition in Tanzania, including in 2022,” Ngugi recalled.

However, he mentioned that while the FEASSA Secretariat anticipates participation from Ethiopian teams, they have faced difficulties in reaching out to the officials responsible for schools championships in Ethiopia, stating, “We don’t know exactly who to contact in Ethiopia.”

In a separate earlier interview, KSSSA Assistant Secretary General Qunito Omusugu explained that the assessment involves evaluating the suitability of the identified sports facilities for the EA Games.

“In addition to assessing facilities in Kakamega Town, the team will also evaluate the nearby Mumias Sports Complex. They will also check for accommodation options for participating school teams,” Omusugu said.

He further explained that the assessment team will look into transportation, hotel and hospitality services, security measures for the events, the condition of Kakamega Referral Hospital, and the involvement of the Kakamega County Government in the schools championship.

Meanwhile, a circular from the Kenya Ministry of Education dated April 25, 2025, titled “Change of Venues for National Term II Games and Federation of East Africa Sports,” issued by Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, indicates that the schools championship is set to begin on July 26 with a referee clinic, followed by the opening ceremony on July 28, and concluding on August 3.

The championship will include Primary Schools, JSS, and Secondary Schools. Earlier reports suggested that the FEASSA Championship was planned to take place in Nakuru City on the same dates.