The wait is almost over. The “City of Stone,” Kisumu, is gearing up to host the 2026 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Term One National Games from April 5 to April 12.
After a grueling regional qualification phase that saw defending champions fall and new powerhouses rise, the stage is set for a week of high-octane action in rugby 15s, basketball, hockey, and handball. Here is your definitive look at the teams that have punched their tickets to the lakeside city.
Rugby 15s: The Heavyweights Converge
The biggest story in rugby 15s is the absence of the defending national champions, Vihiga High, who fell in the Western region semis. This leaves the door wide open for a new king to be crowned.
• Pool A: St Mary’s Yala (Nyanza 1), Kwale High School (Coast), All Saints Embu (Eastern), and Upper Hill School (Nairobi).
• Pool B: Bungoma High School (Western), Kisii School (Nyanza 2), Menengai High School (Rift Valley), and Mang’u High School (Central).
Watch out for: The Nyanza derby in the pools. St Mary’s Yala enters as regional favorites after dethroning the East Africa champions, Kisii School, in a 9-6 thriller.
Basketball: Can Anyone Stop Laiser Hill and Butere?
In the hoops department, the usual suspects are back, but the competition has never looked tighter.
Boys’ Category:
• Pool A: Laiser Hill Academy (Defending Champs – Rift Valley), Dr. Aggrey (Coast), Dagoretti High (Nairobi), and Lukenya Boys (Eastern).
• Pool B: Agoro Sare (Nyanza), Friends School Kamusinga (Western), Pioneer School (Central), and North Eastern representative.
Girls’ Category:
• Pool A: Butere Girls (Defending Champs – Western), Moi Girls Nairobi, Asumbi Girls (Nyanza), and St. Brigid’s Kiminini (Rift Valley).
• Pool B: Kaya Tiwi (Coast), M-Pesa Foundation Academy (Central), Ikutha Girls (Eastern), and North Eastern representative.
Hockey: Battle for the Turf
The hockey fields at Kisumu Day and Kisumu Boys will be a battlefield. In the boys’ section, Musingu High lost their regional crown but remain a threat, while Tigoi Girls look to extend their dynasty.
• Boys Pool A: Kisumu Day (Nyanza 1), Alliance High (Central), Hospital Hill (Nairobi), and St. Anthony’s Kitale (Rift Valley).
• Boys Pool B: Friends School Kamusinga (Western), Ringa Boys (Nyanza 2), St. Charles Lwanga (Coast), and Mbooni Boys (Eastern).
• Girls Pool A: Ng’iya Girls (Nyanza 1), M-Pesa Foundation Academy (Central), Mwiki Secondary (Nairobi), and St. Joseph’s Kitale (Rift Valley).
• Girls Pool B: Tigoi Girls (Western), Nyamira Girls (Nyanza 2), St. Charles Lwanga (Coast), and AIC Nyayo (Eastern).
Handball: New Champions in the Making
Western region, the traditional home of handball, sees a shift as Musingu High dethroned the long-standing national champions, St. Luke’s Kimilili.
• Boys Pool B: Musingu High (Western), St. Joseph’s Kitale (Rift Valley), St. Mary’s Yala (Nyanza), and Kenyatta Mwatate (Coast).
• Girls Pool B: Moi Girls Kamusinga (Western), St. Joseph’s Kitale (Rift Valley), Sidindi Girls (Nyanza 2), and Kinale Girls (Central).
The Venue Layout
Expect Kisumu to be buzzing. The primary venues include:
1. Kisumu Day & Kisumu Boys: Hockey and Basketball.
2. Maseno School: Rugby 15s.
3. Lions High School: Handball.
4. Moi Stadium: Athletics and opening/closing ceremonies.
