Former Muthaiga Golf Club Chairman Ronald Meru.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) Board of Directors at the weekend named former Muthaiga Golf Club chairman Ronald Kibaara Meru as their new Commercial Director.

Meru’s background as a Senior Sales Director at Comviva Technologies Ltd combined with his being Chairman of Economic Diplomacy at the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) and also the Vice Chairman of the Nairobi Chapter at KNCCI, will help to further advance the commission of KOGL in developing and implementing a sponsorship strategy to attract and retain sponsors of KOGL’s golfing events and activities.

“We are excited to welcome Mr. Ronald Meru as our new Commercial Director,” said Peter Kanyago, the Chairman of the Kenya Open Golf Ltd.

“Meru will bring a wealth of expertise, enthusiasm, strong relationship management, and fresh air to the organization. We are grateful to have him as an addition to the Board of Directors and look forward to working with him.”

Ronald Kibaara Meru is the Immediate past Chairman of the Board of Directors at Muthaiga Golf Club. He sits on the Board of The Nairobi City Country Revenue Authority as a Board Member and he also sits on the Board of Management (BOM) of Mangu High School & is the Vice Chairman of the Mangu High School Alumni/Old Boys.
Ronald Kibaara Meru is a Chartered Marketer (CIM-UK) with a Post Graduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, he also holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi (UON), a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems and Technology (IST) from United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) and a Diploma in Information Technology (IT) from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

In addition, Mr. Meru sits on the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) in an Advisory role and he is a member of the Kenya Golfing Society.

Meru succeeds Mr. Lawrence Kiambi, Group Chief CFO & Executive Director KCB Group PLC, in the Commercial Director role. He will be in charge of developing a Sponsorship Strategy, Sponsorship Acquisitions, and Relationship Management with sponsors.

Terra Saidimu, Kenya Golf Union chairman Philip Ochola and Elvis Muigua.

By AMANDA DAMARIS AND DANIELLA APIYO

The Grand Finale of the 2023 International Pairs Series in Kenya is set to be held on Friday, 1^st September 2023 at the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club. 35 Pairs constituted from the top four pairs, best ladies pair or mixed pair in 7 qualifiers held across the country will be on the tee in the series whose top prize is a fully paid-for golfing trip to Portugal. The top 3 pairs in the Grand Finale qualify for the World Final that is set for the 6^th to 10^th November at the Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort and Bom Sucesso Resort, Portugal.

The first qualifier was held on 8^th July 2023 at Muthaiga Golf Club, followed by qualifiers at Nyahururu Country Club, Kericho Club, Great Rift Valley Golf Resort, Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, Nakuru Golf Club, and the last event at Vetlab Sports Club on 26^th August 2023. The series has seen a total of 314 pairs brace their shots for the lucrative slots.

This is the fourth time that Kenya is participating in the International Pairs since the start of 2019 with a break in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 7 pairs from Kenya have since participated in the fully paid trip to the World Grand Finale. Mike Karanga & Steve Kiaro, James Kamenchu & Anthony Murage, and Bhamra Bilu & Romy Sandhu participated in the finals in 2019 at Penina Golf Resort, Portugal. In 2022, Saawan Shah & Jay Varia, Chand Shah & Kush Shah, Julius Rono & Eric Mutai, and Steve Kiaro & David Gitao participated in the finals at La Cala Golf Resort, Spain. The pair of Chand Shah & Kush Shah finished as runner-ups in the World Finals just one point from the winners from Namibia-Johannes Damon and Hylton Villet. James Kamenchu, Erick Mutai, and Julius Rono are part of the field on Friday seeking another chance to qualify for the exciting, friendly, and hugely prestigious event.