The Ministry of Interior in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and other stakeholders has launched the Mashujaa Day Champions Edition, a sporting tournament featuring athletics, volleyball, and football games. The initiative is part of the activities leading up to the October 20 Mashujaa Day celebrations to be hosted in Eldoret. The tournament will involve teams from the ward up to the County level, with the Wards finals scheduled for September 26, Sub-county finals on October 3, and County finals on October 11.
The tournament, worth Sh 63 million in prize money, will be co-hosted by three counties: Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Nandi. The inter-county finals will be hosted separately across the participating counties, with Elgeyo Marakwet hosting the Marathon finals on October 18, Nandi hosting the Volleyball finals on October 19, and Uasin Gishu hosting the curtain raiser football finals on October 20. The event will be presided over by President William Ruto.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen launched the tournament, calling for concerted efforts to make the national celebrations more colorful. He emphasized that the competition would bring together young people from Uasin Gishu, Nandi, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, with matches starting at the village level and progressing through successive stages. The CS disclosed that over 10,000 participants were expected to benefit from monetary awards throughout the competition.
The government has put in place measures to ensure the tournament's success, including a digital registration system to capture details of all participants and prevent manipulation of teams. Professional players competing in Division Two leagues and above will not be allowed to participate, as the tournament is primarily intended to provide opportunities for upcoming players. Established football clubs will be invited to scout the competition for promising talent.
The tournament is also expected to promote clean sport and fairness, with organizers enforcing strict registration and competition rules. Anti-doping measures will form part of the program. The Interior CS highlighted the government's investment in sports infrastructure, saying the administration has embarked on a major expansion of sporting facilities across the country.
The government is working towards establishing sports academies and community stadiums, with the long-term objective of expanding access to sporting facilities at the grassroots. This investment is linked to Kenya's preparations to host major international sporting events, including the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi.
The 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations will culminate at the upgraded Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, incorporating sporting, cultural, security, and economic activities across Uasin Gishu, Nandi, and Elgeyo Marakwet. The government will rely largely on existing national and county government structures to organize the tournament, minimizing administrative costs.
Key points
- The Mashujaa Day Champions Edition has a prize money of Sh 63 million.
- The tournament will feature athletics, volleyball, and football games.
- Over 10,000 participants are expected to benefit from monetary awards throughout the competition.
