Inter-Parliamentary Games: Kanini Kega Out For A Third Golf Title As Kenya Hopeful To Reclaim Team Prize

_{EALA Member of Parliament Hon Kanini Kega (Left) celebrates his men’s 4x100m silver medal with race champion Vincent Kawaya (Mwala MP) at the Kenya Ports Authority Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa on Monday December 9, 2024. PHOTO/ PARLIAMENT OF KENYA.}

MOMBASA, Kenya- Kenya has always been the side to beat in golf since the discipline was introduced at the ongoing East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games in Mombasa four years ago.

The country has maintained a clean sheet in the sport, on the coveted individual top prize (the overall winner) since then.

It was last year that Uganda came in between Kenya and the trophy, in the team title award, in Kigali, Rwanda.

Former Kieni Member of Parliament (MP) Kanini Kega, who fought for the sport to be introduced in the Games,  has lifted the overall individual title twice for Kenya while last year, his compatriot Fredrick Ikana (Shinyalu Constituency) did the same for the country in Kigali.

The search for this year’s glory started off at the pristine Nyali Golf Club in Mombasa on Monday morning with participants teeing off in the wee hours.

The three day grueling battle is expected to be intense going by the number of entries in the tournament. Kenya has put up a strong squad of 20 players, captained by Buuri MP Ridiki Murwithania.

Other solid entries are from perennial rivals Uganda who have insisted they will not let the team title to go. Tanzania and Rwanda too have formidable forces in the showpiece.

Unlike before when he used to steer Kenya to glory in the sport, Kega is now flying the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) flag.

However, he has heaped praises on the Kenyan squad saying: ” Kenya has a strong team, I feel they will reclaim the team prize now that they are the host.

Kenya also has the numbers as their entry has expanded from eight in Kigali last year to 20 in this tournament and this includes even the women players. This is a great encouragement to even the nations that are yet to embrace golf in these Games.”

However, handicap 7 Kega has warned that his eyes are on the overall individual prize where he is gunning for a third gold medal. Incase he wins, the glory will go to EALA team where he is a nominated MP.

“I have trained well, both in Kenya and in Tanzania where EALA is based. My body is fit and I’m looking forward for victory,” he stated.

All the participating teams got a feel of the lush Nyali course for atleast a week before the gruelling showpiece that is being played under the stableford format.

When asked why he fought hard to introduce golf into the EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games, Kega who is also the Games Steering Committee chairman stated: “Unlike football, there are no injuries in golf. There is also a lot of networking after the game.

“I’m happy that I can now call some MPs whenever I’m in their countries to have a round of golf and enjoy the moments with them on the fairways and that’s the kind of integration that we want for the region; people to be free with each other, we should remove the physical boarders that were put by the colonial masters. “As EALA, we are hopeful that by next year, all the eight countries on board will have entries in golf.”

According to Kanini, the other reason for the introduction of the discipline into the regional sporting extravaganza was to demystify golf as a rich man’s sport.

“The notion that the game is very expensive is what has made other MPs not to embrace it, but we are trying hard to let them know that it is  a sporting activity like any other.

“I’m happy seeing young players from disadvantaged backgrounds take up the sport at Golf Park in Nairobi and some of them have gone a head to win exciting prizes at the annual Magical Kenya Open. That’s the kind of spirit that we are out to inculcate among the MPs,” he underlined. 

The 14th East African Community (EAC) Inter-Parliamentary Games selected day 2 results

1.Women’s volleyball 

Uganda 3 Kenya 0 (25-18, 25-15,25-14)

2.Men’s football 

Uganda 3 Kenya 0

3. Women’s netball

Kenya got walkover against South Sudan