Rift Valley emerges top as focus shifts to second term schools games
Vihiga Boys High School rugby team celebrates with the trophy at the Kenya Secondary Schools Term One Games at Shimo la Tewa Secondary School in Mombasa on April 13, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Western Region, the 2024 champions, narrowly missed out, settling for second place with 88 points.
- Nyanza Region maintained its third-place finish for a second consecutive year, posting 67 points.
Rift Valley Region emerged the undisputed champions as the curtain fell on Brookside Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Term One National Games at Shanzu Teachers Training College, and Shimo La Tewa School in Mombasa County.
After finishing runners-up in Machakos last year, Rift Valley soared to the top this time around, clinching the overall title with an impressive 95 points.
Western Region, the 2024 champions, narrowly missed out, settling for second place with 88 points. Nyanza Region maintained its third-place finish for a second consecutive year, posting 67 points.
Nairobi (62 points) and Coast (58 points) rounded off the top five, followed by Eastern (54 points), Central (44 points), and North Eastern, who trailed with seven points at the end of the five-day championships.
All Saints Embu High School (rugby 15s) and Dr Aggrey High School (boys’ basketball) relinquished their crowns to debutants Vihiga Boys High School and Rift Valley's Laiser Hill Academy, respectively.
Western Region continued its dominance in other team sports. Musingu Boys High School and Tigoi Girls High School successfully defended their hockey titles, while Moi Girls Kamusinga and St Luke’s Kimilili Boys retained their crowns in handball. In girls’ basketball, Butere Girls Secondary School completed a historic hat-trick of titles.
Rift Valley’s surge was led by its invincible athletics teams. The boys and girls swept the athletics titles, racking up 13 and 12 gold medals respectively and combining for 486 points.
Third consecutive title
Mercy Chepngeno of Lesirwo Secondary School earned Best Female Athlete honours after striking gold in the 1500 metres and 3,000m steeplechase. On the boys’ side, Rioga Secondary School’s Daniel Wasike (Nyanza Region) earned the Best Male Athlete award for his explosive sprints in the 100m and 200m events.
The region’s dominance extended to cross country, where Kevin Kiprop Biwot (Sinonin Secondary School) and Mercy Chepkemoi (Tiloa Secondary School) claimed MVP awards with commanding wins in the boys’ and girls’ races. Rift Valley placed first in both categories, followed by Western and Eastern in the boys’ rankings, and Western and Nyanza in the girls’ standings.
The boys’ basketball final tipped the overall title in Rift Valley’s favour, with Kajiado County’s Laiser Hill Academy edging out defending champions Dr Aggrey High School of Coast Region 71–69 in a nail-biting finale. It was Laiser Hill’s record-extending 10th national title after finishing third in Machakos last year.
Despite the loss, Dr Aggrey’s Jacob Kayika was named tournament MVP for his consistent leadership and scoring brilliance. In the girls’ event, Western’s Butere Girls shone once again, defeating Kaya Tiwi from Coast to claim a third consecutive title. Star player Mary Amimo was named MVP.
Mary Amino of Butere Girls High School was voted the Most Valuable Player at the Kenya Secondary Schools Term One Games at Shimo la Tewa Secondary School in Mombasa on April 13, 2025.
Western Region’s teams continued to impress in handball, with Kamusinga Girls and Kimilili Boys defending their respective titles. Brigid Barasa (Kamusinga) and Wafula Abdulhakim (Kimilili) were named MVPs in the girls’ and boys’ categories.
Vihiga Boys, representing Western, also delivered gold in rugby 15s, defeating Kisii School from Nyanza in the final. The MVP title went to Alvin Shikanga of Vihiga. Vihiga are also the East African rugby sevens winners and national silver medallists.
In hockey, Musingu Boys and Tigoi Girls sealed Western’s grip on the sport by winning their third and second straight titles, respectively. Kelvin Onyango of runners-up St Anthony’s Boys High School (Rift Valley) and Monica Kwekwe of St John’s Kaloleni (Coast) were named MVPs in the boys’ and girls’ categories.
Verify players’ eligibility
Nairobi excelled in the pool, topping the girls’ category thanks to Light Academy’s Macrine Kalombo, who earned MVP honours with 21 points. In the boys' competition, Coast Region triumphed, but Nairobi’s Curtis Kamotho of Strathmore School was named MVP.
This year’s games marked the introduction of the KSSSA Sports Management Information System Portal (KEMIS), a digital platform used to verify players’ eligibility. The tool proved effective with several players unable to feature due to a number of eligibility issues.
KSSSA Secretary General David Ngugi said the system will restore the credibility of the championships.
“We had a successful and competitive championship because there was a level playing field. These games are for kids and we will strive to ensure that is upheld,” said Ngugi on the sidelines of Saturday’s closing ceremony at Shanzu.
Brookside Dairy, the title sponsor of the games to the tune of Sh30 million, expressed pride in the level of competition.
“These must have been one of the most fiercely contested games in a long time, and I know scouts were impressed by the talent on show here,” said Brookside Dairy’s Corporate Communications Manager, Wilson Okong’o.
With Term One games wrapped up, attention now shifts to Term Two competitions, which will feature football, volleyball, rugby sevens, netball, basketball 3x3, and racquet games.