Despite a devastating fire damaging a section of the Sigona Golf Clubhouse, Mwangi Kimemia achieved an impressive score of 36 stableford points to claim the Mug of Mugs title at the same venue over the weekend.

The cause of the fire, which consumed the James Gichuru lounge on the first floor of the 18-hole course established in 1938 as a 9-hole layout, is still under investigation.

This lounge was in honour of the late James Gichuru, a minister in Kenya’s independence government, who advocated for the preservation of Sigona Golf Club from being subdivided to settle the landless. Gichuru is interred at his home next to hole number one green.

Despite the incident, 254 golfers participated in the 15th edition of the Tononoka-sponsored Mug of Mugs, where Kimemia, was declared the overall winner. Playing off handicap 12, he relied on his consistent perfomance to achieve the winning score while competing in the same flight with his son, who is polishing his game in preparation of the upcoming Tannahill Shield slated for Easter weekend at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club in April 18-20.

“It feels good to win the Mug of Mugs while playing alongside Oscar Mukuria, Peter Warui and my son, Ngondo Kimemia,” he said. In the subsidiary category, Atish Malde stood out with 40 stableford points, followed by Khushil Shah, who recorded 40 stableford points. Reeyan Nanji, Uday Patel, Pritesh Mcshah, Felix Kipygon finished in third, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Njeri Kimani won the ladies’ prize with a score of 36 stableford points. During the award giving ceremony, David Kioko, head of of Brand and Business Development at Tononoka Group, said; “We started with four winners and we’ve expanded to 14 mug winners and additional 16 prizes.”