After years of battling age cheating and impersonation at the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Championships, the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) has introduced strict verification measures that took effect on Wednesday, March 12.
The measures coincide with the start of the Term One Secondary Schools Regional Championships, which are taking place at various venues across the country.
KSSSA Secretary General David Ngugi announced that the KSSSA Sports Management Information System Portal (KEMIS), introduced last year, will now be the primary tool for verifying the eligibility of players.
This digital system, which was first tested in last year’s Term Two games involving football, netball, and volleyball in Kisii, Nyanza Region, proved highly effective, leading to the disqualification of four schools for fielding ineligible players.
“The introduction of these measures aims to enhance integrity and fairness in school sports competitions, which have recently been marred by cases of age cheating and impersonation. This was slowly compromising the quality of our games,” said Ngugi.
All schools participating in KSSSA championships must now register their players through the KSSSA portal, with additional hard copy documents signed and approved by the Regional County Directors of Education. Ngugi emphasized that no team will be allowed to compete without completing this digital registration.
Speaking after a meeting with school sports officials at the Ministry of Education headquarters in Nairobi, Ngugi stated that teams must also present hard copy documents, including school ID cards displaying the full name, admission number, class, date of birth, KCPE year, and a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) number.
The ID must also feature a school rubber stamp across the player’s chest and be signed by the school principal.
“For students who have transferred, their ID must show the previous school, Certificate of Admission (C.O.A.), and date of admission. A maximum of only two players transferring from the same school will be allowed to join a team,” Ngugi said.
Additionally, students who sat for the 2024 KCSE and opted to repeat are ineligible, as they are considered to have already completed school. This rule also applies to students repeating classes during that academic year.
To further strengthen the verification process, schools must submit three certified group photos of their team, showing players in uniform alongside the principal and coach.
The back of each photo must be stamped and certified by the school principal. Furthermore, each school must provide six copies of the official team list, printed on the school’s letterhead and containing essential details such as names, admission numbers, class, date of birth, KCPE index number, and UPI number, all certified by the principal.
KSSSA has also introduced squad limits for various sports, with football and hockey teams capped at 20 players, volleyball at 12, basketball (5-a-side) at 12, basketball (3-a-side) at five, handball and netball at 14 each, rugby 7s at 12, rugby 15s at 25, racquet games (badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis) at six, and swimming at 15 athletes. Squad limits for athletics will be determined by event requirements.
The new system has been widely welcomed by school principals and coaches, who believe it will restore fairness in school sports. Dr Aggrey High School principal and coach Robert Aran Maima expressed his strong support, saying,
“At least now we can have a level playing field, unlike in the past when it was hard to tell genuine students from imposters. I fully support this system.”
Aran, who has won multiple national and FEASSA titles while coaching at Shimba Hills and Kaya Tiwi, believes this system will effectively eliminate cheating.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Kobala High School netball coach George Adoyo, who has witnessed cases of impersonation at the Nyanza regional games. He urged officials to act swiftly when cheating is reported.
“This system is excellent because IT experts will have time to scrutinize documents before players take the field, ensuring only genuine students participate,” said Adoyo, who also serves as Kenya’s Under-19 netball youth coach.
However, Adoyo also raised concerns about school principals who protect cheating schools while punishing teachers who report violations.
“It is painful that principals, who should be upholding integrity, instead work to silence teachers who expose cheating. Some teachers have even been transferred for reporting violations,” he said, citing a case where a Nyakach Girls netball teacher was transferred after reporting overage players from a Migori school.
Kaya Tiwi High School basketball coach Ali Kalama supported the new system, but urged the Ministry of Education to take action against county and regional education directors who manipulate rulings to protect certain schools.
“Some county directors lack knowledge of sports rules and consistently use their authority to shield cheating schools. This must stop,” said Kalama, who also serves as the Kaya Tiwi Games Master.
Over the years, several schools have been disqualified or banned for fielding ineligible players. Some of the most notable cases include Wiyeta Girls football team from Rift Valley, Nyabondo’s volleyball team, and Butula’s rugby team.
With the new digital verification system in place, KSSSA officials hope to finally put an end to age fraud and impersonation, ensuring fair play and meritocracy in Kenyan school sports.
