Team Kenya leaves for Uganda FEASSSA mission

Kenya’s representatives at this year’s Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) departed the country on Thursday morning for Uganda ahead of the competition scheduled for August 20 – 26.

Teams from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan will converge in Gulu for the 16th edition of the Games that will see top schools within the region battle for top honours.

Team Kenya, which is expected to field 53 teams across multiple disciplines, held a one-day camp in Busia on Wednesday and will rest on Friday before kicking off their campaign on Saturday.

National boys’ football champions Upper Hill will open their FEASSSA campaign against Tanzanian Alliance Boys on opening day as they seek to become only the third Kenyan side to lift the trophy.

The Nairobi based-side defeated former champions St Anthony of Kitale on post-match penalties in the national finals held last month to book their maiden appearance at the East Africa Games.

Following the draw held in the Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Upper Hill is top seeded in group A, and will also play Kibuli of Uganda, College Karambi of Rwanda and St Josephs, Layibi of Uganda.

Other Kenyan representatives St Anthony is pooled in group B alongside LDK of Rwanda, Bentiu Boys of South Sudan, perennial champions St Mary’s Kitende of Uganda and Roi de Gitega of Burundi.

Kakamega High will play Jinja of Uganda, Nakaseke International school of Uganda and Alliance Rock of Tanzania in pool C.

Kenya was allocated three slots on the account of being defending champions but titleholders Barding High failed to make the cut after failing to qualify for last month’s national championship held in Nyeri.

Barding, then Nyanza region champions and second in the country coached by George Owoko (now assistant coach at Kenyan Premier League side Bandari FC), overcame the underdog tag to dethrone St Mary’s Kitende of Uganda who are 12-time regional champions.

St Anthony is the only other Kenyan side to win the championship when they won the inaugural event.