Martin Mengech (R) receives a golf bag prize from NCBA Corporate Banking – Sector Head, Agriculture, William Muguima (L) during the Nandi Bears Golf Club leg of the 2025 NCBA Golf Series.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Home player Martin Mengech (handicap 45) delivered a stellar performance, carding an impressive 46 points to win the Overall Winner title at the NCBA Golf Series at the par-72 Nandi Bears Golf Club in Nandi County.

The tournament held over the weekend saw the participation of over 150 golfers drawn from across the region, including those from Kakamega, Kericho, and Eldoret golf clubs.

In the Men’s Category, Boaz Sugut, playing off handicap 21, took first place with 39 points, while Joyce Rotich (handicap 31) claimed victory in the Ladies’ Category, scoring an impressive 45 points.

Among the juniors, 14-year-old Protus Ambani shone brightly, delivering a strong performance with 33 points to win the Junior Category.

These top four golfers—Mengech, Sugut, Rotich, and Ambani—have now qualified for the Grand Finale, where they will face off against other winners from the series for the championship title at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, in other categories, Nelson Koech emerged as the winner of the Longest Drive Men’s challenge while Faith Chemutai claimed the women’s title with her impressive drive. In the Nearest to the Pin challenge, Solomon Atsiaya took the prize for his precision.

Speaking at the event, NCBA Kapsabet Branch Manager Phederesy Wesonga, reiterated the bank’s commitment to supporting golf in the region, ensuring that both amateur and professional players have opportunities to compete, improve, and grow within the sport.

“This year we have taken it a notch higher in matters of golf by getting into a partnership with the Professional Golfers of Kenya as a way of completing the cycle, while at the same time extending our involvement with the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) and the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF),” said Wesonga.

He added: “We believe that these partnerships will come in handy this year at all levels, seeking to cater to the needs of the junior golfers, the amateurs, and the professional golfers as well. We believe that golf is not just a sport but an avenue to bring people together, build strong communities and grow in life as we grow in sport.”

The next leg of the series is set to take place at the Malindi Golf Club on February 8th as golfers continue to battle for a place in the Grand Finale.

As part of NCBA Bank’s ongoing commitment to golf development, the 2025 series has expanded, with 159 events scheduled across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, up from 130 events in 2024.

KCB CEO Paul Russo in action at the weekend

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The team of Andrew Gathere, Simon Mwangi, Joseph King’ola and Oscar Koitaba returned a net score of 255 points to be crowned the overall winners of the first leg of the KCB East Africa Golf Tour at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

Gathere’s team defeated the four-ball of Esther Muia, Joel Karubiu, Pal Thethy and Berlyne Okeyo who registered a combined net score of 262 points to emerge as the second best team in the tournament that was graced by over 200 golfers.

Commenting after guiding his team to victory, Gathere said: “Indeed it was a spectacular day on the course with an amazing group of people. Our victory was occasioned by our drive to win and the sheer passion for the game. The fact that it did not rain allowed us to demonstrate our skills and I could not be proud of my teammates for this amazing feat.”

Experienced handicap 10 golfer, Andrew Gathere, returned a net score of 63 points to clinch the overall winner award, beating a huge field at the event that marked the start of the 30-leg amateur series that will traverse 16 counties in Kenya and four additional countries in East Africa.

Simon Mwangi, who plays off handicap 16 also returned a 63 net score to be named the men’s winner while Esther Muia, who plays off handicap 48, returned a 65 net score to bag the lady winner award.

In the highly contested staff category, Managing Director and Principal Officer KCB Bancassurance Intermediary, Aggrey Mulumbi, who plays off handicap 22 recorded 67 net score to win it while regular winner Scola Onsongo, handicap 26 emerged second.

Veronicah Ndungu, handicapped 54, won the guest winner award with a net score of 59 points. Kigen Koitaba scooped the longest drive award in the men’s category while Eunice Kilonzo won it in the ladies’ category.

As part of its ongoing commitment to expanding access to sports and nurturing young talent, KCB Bank successfully hosted 100 junior golfers in a specialized golf clinic on Sunday morning. A tree planting exercise was also conducted at the same venue to buttress the bank’s sustainability agenda.

The second leg of the KCB East Africa Golf Tour will be held at the Mombasa Sports Club on February 8, 2025.