Dismas Indiza tees off at the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing Ruiru Leg.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Kakamega Sports Club’s Dismas Indiza produced a dramatic comeback to defeat Royal Nairobi’s John Lejirma in a sudden-death playoff and secure victory at the Ruiru leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.

Starting the day five shots behind, Indiza capitalized on Lejirma’s early mistakes, carding a level-par 72 to tie at 4-under par 212 after regulation play. In the playoff, Indiza sealed the win with a birdie on the par-4 18th, as Lejirma could only manage par, earning Indiza the Sh 400,000 winner’s cheque from the Sh 2 million prize purse.

Indiza made a strong start to his round, firing birdies on the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 9th holes, with a lone bogey on the 7th. On the back nine, he dropped shots at the 12th and 13th but recovered with clutch birdies on the 16th and 17th to close his round at level-par 72, tying Lejirma at 4-under par 212 to force the playoff.

Speaking after his win, Indiza said: “It feels great to win again. I stayed patient, even when things got tight in the middle of the round. I knew if I kept giving myself chances, something would happen. The playoff was all about composure, and I’m glad I executed the birdie on 18. This is a great win for me, especially with such a strong field and many top amateurs and young players coming up strongly on this tour.”

Lejirma, who had carried a commanding five shot lead into the final day, struggled early, with two double bogeys in his first three holes to surrender his advantage. A bogey on the 4th followed, before a birdie at the 7th offered a brief recovery. He picked up another birdie on the 14th but closed his round with bogeys on 16 and 17 to finish the on a round score of 5-over par 77, ultimately falling into the playoff.

Dismas Indiza poses for a photo with his trophy after winning the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing Ruiru Leg.

Reflecting on the round, Lejirma said: “It was a tough day. I didn’t start well and made a few costly mistakes early. I tried to fight back but couldn’t fully recover. Credit to Indiza for staying solid and finishing strongly. There are a lot of positives to take from this week, and I’ll keep building from here.”

Rizwan Charania and Samuel Njoroge shared third place, both finishing at 1-under par 215 for the tournament. Charania played a consistent final round, carding a level-par 72 with pars across all 18 holes. Njoroge, who started the day at 3-under par after strong earlier rounds, posted a 2-over par 74 on the final day to slip into the tie for third.

“It was a steady week for me. I played solid golf, kept mistakes to a minimum, and stayed patient out there. The conditions were fair but challenging, so I’m pleased with how I managed my game. Finishing tied for third is a good result, and I’ll take the positives into the next events on the swing,” said Riz Charania after his round.

Brothers Mutahi Kibugu and Njoroge Kibugu tied for fifth at even-par 216. Mutahi produced one of the best rounds of the tournament with a brilliant 6-under par 66 to climb the leaderboard, making birdies on the 6th, 8th, 9th, and 15th while avoiding any dropped shots on the day. Njoroge, the Thika Greens leg winner, finished with birdies on the 3rd, 11th, and 18th but was set back by bogeys on the 2nd and 9th, along with a double bogey on the 11th.

Naom Wafula of Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort once again led the women’s field, finishing strongly in eighth place overall with a total of 2-over par 218 after another steady round. Wafula maintained her form throughout the tournament, reinforcing her status as one of the region’s top amateur prospects.

Dismas Indiza poses for a photo with his trophy and winner’s dummy cheque after winning the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing Ruiru Leg.

Speaking after her round, Naom Wafula said: “I’m happy with how I played throughout the week. My goal was to stay consistent and give myself chances, and I managed to do that. It’s great to finish inside the top 10 in such a strong field. Every tournament on this tour gives me more confidence and valuable experience to keep improving my game.”

Rwanda’s Celestine Nsanzuwera finished as the highest-ranked foreign player, closing his tournament at 1-over par 217 to claim seventh place on the final leader-board. Nsanzuwera capped his week with an impressive final round of 4-under par 68, one of the lowest rounds of the day.

In yet another memorable moment, Professional Golfers of Kenya Chairman John Wangai recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole, marking the second ace of the tournament following Eugine Wafula’s hole-in-one on the same hole during the opening round.

The Ruiru leg wraps up another competitive edition of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, as regional players continue their quest for Sunshine Tour points and valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

Michael Karanga, winner of the 2025 NCBA Kiambu Open.

By KGG TEAM

Michael Karanga delivered a spectacular final-round performance to clinch the 2025 NCBA Kiambu Open title, finishing three-under-par with a total score of 214 (73, 72, 69) over three rounds at the par-72 Kiambu Golf Club course. His win earned him the top prize of KES 115,600 from the KES 500,000 prize fund sponsored by NCBA Bank. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.

Coming into the final day leading by two shots, Karanga’s final-round 69, the lowest of the tournament, cemented his dominance on the leaderboard. His composure and precision throughout the course made the difference as he surged ahead to secure the win. He carded birdies on holes 2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17, only dropping shots at holes 4, 5, 14, and 18.

NCBA Kiambu Open Champion Michael Karanga follows the path of his tee shot at Kiambu Golf Club.

With the win, the Ndumberi Golf Club Chairman earned 230 KAGC Order of Merit points, climbing to second place overall with 723 points, just 72 points behind long-time series leader John Lejirma.

“The course was tough this time round due to the ongoing rains. I probably could have returned a better score than three-under-par, but I’m very happy to have retained the title,” said Karanga. “I checked the KAGC Order of Merit and realized I was number three, so I knew I had to do something this weekend, especially being the defending champion,” he added.

Finishing second was John Lejirma of Royal Nairobi Golf Club, who posted rounds of 75, 72, and 73 for a total score of 220 (+4). Lejirma’s consistent ball-striking and recovery play kept him in contention throughout the event.

Despite an up-and-down start in Round 1, marked by several bogeys, Lejirma steadied his game in Round 2 with birdies at the 1st, 9th, 11th, and 13th to finish level-par for the day. He began Round 3 on fire with birdies on the first three holes, later adding two more on the 11th and 16th. However, his quest for the title was hampered by a double bogey on the 7th and bogeys at holes 8, 9, 10, and 15, ultimately earning him KES 69,400.

Tied for third at +9 (225) were Hetansh Shah (Sigona Golf Club), Naomi Wafula (Vipingo Ridge), and Joyce Njuguini (Kiambu Golf Club), each taking home KES 36,200.

Vipingo Ridge’s Naomi Wafula plays out a bunker shot during the 2025 NCBA Kiambu Open.

Shah had a slow start with a first-round 80, struggling particularly on the back nine, but showed tremendous improvement with rounds of 74 and 71 on the second and third days respectively. His final round featured birdies on holes 6, 11, 15, and 16, and he remained bogey-free on the front nine. He only dropped shots on holes 14 (bogey) and 18 (double bogey).

Naomi Wafula, the 2023 Kiambu Open champion, delivered a solid defense of her title with rounds of 75, 76, and 74. Her final round was particularly composed, showing excellent short game control and avoiding major mistakes to finish a respectable two-over-par on the day.

Home favorite Joyce Njuguini was the epitome of consistency, carding identical rounds of 75 over all three days. Her deep familiarity with the Kiambu layout was evident as she displayed superb course management, grinding out pars and key birdies to stay competitive in a strong field.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Julius Mburu, NCBA Kiambu Branch Manager, said: “Our sponsorship of the Kiambu Open is part of NCBA’s broader commitment to supporting Kenyan sport and developing platforms where talent can thrive. This tournament is about more than just Order of Merit points or world rankings—it’s about nurturing ambition and creating opportunities for the next generation of champions.

“We’re also pleased to see regional representation from Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi. Golf is a unifying sport, and it’s exciting to see the East African community coming together through shared passion,” he added.

The three-day tournament, held at the 9-hole Kiambu Golf Club, brought together top amateur talent from across the region. The KAGC series continues from 23rd to 25th May 2025 with the Ronald Marshall & Toby Gibson Cup at Muthaiga Golf Club.