Harambee Stars midfielder Macdonald Mariga celebrates his goal against Angola with Denis Oliench during an African Cup of Nations qualifying clash at the Nyayo Stadium on March 26, 2011.
As the 23rd the Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games unfold in Morogoro, Tanzania, Kenya’s vibrant school sports system continues to prove it is the ultimate launchpad for global icons—from grassroots fields to the grandest international stages.
Kenyan players already attracting attention in Morogoro include Nyamira Girls’ Ruth Nakhumicha, St Anthony’s Peter Wachira, and St Joseph’s Girls’ Valarie Imisa, who have been outstanding for their teams in hockey. Kenya is hoping to defend eight titles at the championship.
For decades, KSSSA games have provided a platform for young athletes who have gone on to become renowned sports personalities. The games have produced players who have progressed from school teams to professional clubs and national teams in a variety of sports.
KSSSAis now one of East Africa’s leading talent pools for scouts from domestic clubs, the FKF, and international academies.
After a 12-year wait, Josephibe Sembeyo, a student at AIC Girls Secondary in Loitokitok, Kajiado, helped Kenya reclaim the junior women’s 1,500m world title in Oregon this month in a time of 4 minutes and 16.73 seconds. The 18-year-old, who was discovered through the school games, is already back to training with her sights set on next year’s World Athletics Championships and the 2028 Olympic Games.
Another athlete to watch is the 19-year-old volleyball star Josephine Kataa, who is tipped to play a pivotal role in Malkia Strikers’ campaign for next year’s World Championship and the 2028 Olympics .
Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) deputy president Paul Bitok and Malkia Strikers head coach Geoffrey Omondi have both described Kataa, who honed her skills at Kwanthanze High School, as a rare talent.
Kataa was named the best attacker in the 2018 Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association (KPSSA) games. In 2022, she led Kwanthanze to a hat-trick of wins at KPSSA, Regional Secondary Schools and Africa Schools tournaments in Morocco.
“Throughout my career, I have never seen a libero who could receive like Kataa. She is unique. She has stabilised our reception and eased the pressure,” said Bitok of Kataa, who also plays for KCB in the women’s volleyball league.
Legends, from football icons Dennis Oliech, Victor Wanyama, and Michael Olunga, to rugby maestros such as Collins Injera, and volleyball stars like Brackcides Agala, all trace the genesis of their professional careers back to the school games.
Malkia Strikers libero Josephine Kataa (right), with teammates, during a training session at Karasani stadium on Tuesday.
Sembeyo and Kataa join the long list of stars that also includes Mike Okoth, a retired Kenyan striker who started out at Itierio Secondary School in Kisii, and later played for Kenyan premier league sides Shabana FC and Tusker FC, before moving to the Belgian side Genk.
FKF vice-president McDonald Mariga honed his skills at Kamukunji High before joining Ulinzi Stars and Tusker. He became the first Kenyan to win the Uefa Champions League, with Inter Milan in 2010. His brother, Wanyama, followed a similar path, progressing from Kamukunji to Nairobi City Stars and AFC Leopards, before moving to Europe to play for Celtic, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. He became the first Kenyan to score in the Uefa Champions League.
Oliech, Kenya’s all-time leading scorer, attended Kakamega High and Kamukunji before turning professional in Qatar and France.
Valerie Nekesa, who attended Madira Girls, scored Kenya’s first ever Fifa U-17 World Cup goal in 2024. Marion Serenge, who attended Archbishop Njenga Girls, progressed from the Junior Starlets to the Harambee Starlets.
Terry Engesha, a former Tartar Girls student, now plays hockey professionally in South Korea. Meanwhile, Martha Amunyolete, who honed her skills at Wiyeta Girls, has become a key midfielder for the Harambee Starlets. Imisa scored five goals to lead St Joseph’s Girls (JOGA) Kitale to victory in the 2026 KSSSA hockey tournament in Thika last week. She has already scored four goals in Morogoro as JOGA chases a third consecutive FEASSA title.
Lorna Wasike became the first Kenyan to win a Fifa Player of the Match award at the 2024 Under 17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic. She led Butere Girls to the 2024 KSSSA title, winning the event’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the process.
Emmanuel Kiprono, a Form Three student at St Francis Kimuron, won gold at the World U20 Championships in Oregon, USA. He clocked a course record of 7:28.28 in the 3,000 metres. Kiprono followed this with FEASSA cross-country gold in Morogoro, Tanzania on Monday. Kiprono first attracted attention at the KSSSA nationals in Kisumu.
Patrick Odongo, a Laiser Hill Academy graduate, now plays for Kenya’s Shujaa in the HSBC Sevens Circuit. He made his mark during the KSSSA rugby tournament. Humphrey Aroko, who helped Highway Secondary win their first national football title in 2024, now plays in Sweden. The former Kariobangi Sharks player is currently on loan to Swedish second-tier club FC Rosengård, having been signed by Danish giants FC Copenhagen.
“KSSSA gave me a platform. I was playing for Kariobangi before the 2024 nationals in Kisii, but school football was different. There was pressure and many scouts were present. It helped me grow as a player,” he said in an earlier interview.
USA's Claire Stegall, gold Kenya's Josephine Sembeyo and Caren Chepchirchir, also of Kenya, during the award ceremony for the 1500 metres race at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon in the US last week.
Aldrine Kibet, who led St Anthony’s Boys Kitale to victory in the 2023 KSSSA tournament and won the MVP award, has joined the Spanish club RC Celta Fortuna.
He made his professional debut on Saturday. His former St Anthony’s teammate Amos Wanjala, the Kenyan U20 captain, is now with the Spanish La Liga side Valencia CF.
But Musingu High School football coach Brenden Mwinamo feels a lot of talent is lost. “KSSSA gives children a chance to be seen. But the truth is, only a handful make it,” he told Nation Sport.
“A lot of talent gets lost after FEASSSA or after the national championships. A player shines for two weeks, and then he goes back home with nothing. We need structures to ensure all of these talented players go on to achieve something through joining academies or clubs or receiving scholarships,” said the renowned tactician, who won four national titles with Kakamega School.
KSSSA Secretary General David Ngugi yesterday said: “The games have lived up to their mandate of successfully fostering friendships and nurturing talent.”
“KSSSA competitions are now the main driver of youth development, raising sports standards across the East Africam region,” he told Nation Sport yesterday.
Ngigi added: “We must emphasise strict adherence to fair play, respect for match officials, and the core objectives that make these games meaningful for our students.”
The recent KSSSA nationals in Thika, Kiambu County, showed that the talent pool is expanding, as scouts from the FKF, the Kenya Academy of Sports and foreign academies followed the action closely.
The route from school to professional sport is becoming increasingly direct. Kiprono, for example, competed in Kisumu during the first term before winning gold at the World U20 and FEASSA event.
Talent is also emerging from regions that have traditionally been underrepresented during the games. Schools in Garissa, Mandera, Samburu, Marsabit and Wajir are now competing nationally.
Mandera’s Takaba Boys, for example, were the first team from the North Eastern region to reach the semi-finals in this year.
KSSSA was established to promote national unity, the holistic development of students and the identification of young talent, combining education with sport. Decades later, its contribution to Kenya’s professional and national teams is undeniable.
Over 5,000 students from five countries are competing in Morogoro until August 23. Kenya has so far won three out of four gold medals in rugby. And as FEASSA continues in Morogoro, the message is clear: whether you dream of becoming a World Under 20 champion, a Champions League winner, or a future professional , the journey to the top begins right here at school.
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