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.
East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member of Parliament 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 gruelling battle is expected to be intense going by the number of entries in the tournament.
The Kenyan golfers will be hoping to have a good outing after Team Kenya had a poor start in women volleyball on Monday. The Kenyan women lost in straight sets of 25-18, 25-15,25-14 nto Uganda.
It was also not a good outing in football as Kenya lost 3-0 to Uganda.
However it was a good day for Kenya yesterday after they won gold in 4x100m relay.
Kenyan quartet of Vincent Kawaya ( Mwala), Josses Lelmengit (Emgwen), Charles Ngina (Mwingi West) and Benard Kitur (Nandi) clocked 53.7 to win gold in scintillating men’s 4x100m contest held under heavy downpour on Monday at the Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa.
The EALA team, led by Kanini Kega (55.2) and Uganda (56.2) came second and third in that order. Kawaya also clocked 12.2 behind Benard Odoi of Uganda (12.0) to win silver in men’s 100m contest as Patrick Ochan, also of Uganda, completed the podium wave in 12.6.
Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji breezed to the tape in 1:02.7 to bronze in men’s 400m final behind two Ugandans; Robert Ssekiitoleeko (1:01.3) and Simon Wokorach (1:02.5) who emerged first and second respectively in the category.
In golf 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.
Kega 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 trained his eyes are on the overall individual prize where he is gunning for a third gold medal.
“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 said.
All the participating teams got a feel of the Nyali course at least a week before the event.
