David Mwangi at Thika Sports Club during the NCBA Golf Series.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Kakamega Sports Club is set to play host to the 2023 NCBA Golf Series this Saturday, 10^th June 2023. The fifth edition of the series will witness the participation of at least 150 golfers from Kakamega and neighbouring clubs, including Nyanza Golf Club. The Series returns to Kakamega this year as a qualifier. This qualifier will be happening at the backdrop of the 1 year anniversary customer engagement scheduled for today Friday the 9^th of June.

The winners of the overall gross, Men’s category, Women’s category, and Juniors category will earn their place to compete in the Grand Finale.

The event follows the successful fourth leg held on May 25th at Thika Sports Club, which attracted an impressive field of 256 golfers. David Matano emerged as the overall winner, triumphing over a strong field of competitors. Simon Ndung’u secured victory in the Men’s category, while Naomi Kimata claimed the title of top Lady golfer. Garcia Kimemia emerged as the champion among the juniors. These four outstanding golfers earned their qualification for the series’ grand finale scheduled for December.

The NCBA Golf Series not only seeks to promote the sport of golf throughout the East African region but also aims to foster a stronger connection between NCBA Bank and its customers through their shared love for the game. This year’s edition consists of a total of 17 club qualifier events hosted at various golf clubs in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

So far, the Series has enjoyed successful tournaments at the Railway Golf Club, Limuru Country Club, and Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, and Thika Sports Club. Additionally, the Series includes two junior tournaments, with the first one having taken place in Uganda in March and the upcoming one scheduled for the Nyali Golf Club in November.

Speaking ahead of the Kakamega event, NCBA Deputy Director & Group Head of Brands said: “We are thrilled to bring the 2023 NCBA Golf Series to Kakamega Sports Club, continuing our commitment to promoting the sport of golf and strengthening our connection with golf enthusiasts across the region. This tournament will provide a platform for golfers to showcase their skills and compete for a chance to participate in the Grand Finale. We look forward to an exciting weekend of golf and wish all participants the best of luck.”

Philip Ochola (R) received the KGU Chairman’s Shield from Njani Ndiritu.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Philip Ochola was elected unopposed as the 2023/2024 Kenya Golf Union Chairman during the Union’s Annual General Meeting held on Friday at Muthaiga Golf Club.

David Ndung’u of Limuru Country Club, Chris Kinuthia of Thika Sports Club and Karugu Macharia of Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club assumed the Vice Chairman, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer positions respectively. The three were also elected unopposed.

The six executive positions were won by Brian Akun (55 votes), Francis Wambua (70 votes), Ndiga Kithae (60 votes), Jonathan Marucha (72 votes), Sammy Itemere (74 votes) and Thomas Mwaura (60 votes) out of the eleven nominees. 91 ballots were cast out of the 104 eligible voters representing an 88% turnout.

In his acceptance speech, Philip Ochola expressed appreciation to Muthaiga Golf Club for nominating him and all the affiliate golf clubs for entrusting him with the Chairmanship.

The new chairman said that his top priority during his tenure as Chairman is to ensure the successful completion of ongoing projects.

“I am determined to finalize the Lenana & Kasarani high performance center projects, which holds great potential for nurturing young talent in our country. Additionally, I aim to see the introduction of golf in schools come to fruition, as it is vital for attracting and grooming the next generation of golfers. I also pledge to promote our Elite squad players, providing them with opportunities to excel and securing scholarships to further their golfing careers,” said Ochola.

The Chairman expressed his intention to nurture young talent, take care of the welfare of the infirm golfers, the disabled players and caddies. This will be achieved in collaboration with KGU subsidiaries, namely the Junior Golf Foundation, the Kenya Ladies Golf Union, and the Kenya Open Golf Limited.

He committed to actively engage the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Culture and Sports, The Ministry of Education and The Ministry of Land to create a conducive environment for the development of the golf at a national level. He also promised to partner with the private sector and institutions to develop the game of golf further.

The Outgoing Chairman Njani Ndiritu thanked the committee members for their support during his tenure. He said that the Union has continued to make significant strides to prioritize Junior Golf, and has signed an MOU with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to introduce golf in schools. He urged the new leadership to work together and build upon the foundation that has already been laid. Ndiritu congratulated the new team and called upon the incoming board to extend their utmost support to the Incoming Chairman who will carry the torch forward.