In Lake Victoria Serena, Uganda

Kenya will be out to try and recapture the Africa Region Four trophy from hosts Uganda, who have won the title back to back in 2018 and 2019, as the first round gets underway Thursday morning at 8am here at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf and Spa course.

This is the first time the tournament, formerly the East Africa Challenge Cup, is being played after a two-year absence (2020 and 2021) because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was last played in 2019 in Bujumbura, Burundi where Uganda retained the title they had won at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa the previous year.

Team manager Philip Ocholla, who is also the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) Vice Chairman and tournament director, was full of confidence that Kenya will emerge top in the 72 hole pre-qualifying event so that it goes directly into the match play final with whichever team will have come home second.

“There is no doubt, this is the strongest team we have selected to represent Kenya in international events for a long time. The players have lots of experience in both Stroke Play as well as match," said Ocholla after going round with the players in the official practising round on Wednesday morning.

The team is made up of Kenya Amateur match play champion and team captain, Dennis Maara of Limuru, Kenya Amateur Open Stroke play champion Adel Balala, John Lejirmah of Kenya Railway Golf Club and Michael Karanga of Kiambu Golf Club.

Speaking after the practising round, captain Maara said the course was in great condition, though very challenging in some of the holes.

“One has to really understand how the wind is blowing, and in particular some of the holes pin position, but we believe we will play very good golf here," said Maara.

He noted that the greens are good real and easy to understand them, though very quick so they will have to be careful not to be too aggressive on them.

During the practising round, long-hitter Adel Balala fired an excellent shot on the 225-yards par three-seventh,  a tough hole, where he carried over a seven-iron against the wind and on a tough pin position.

Balala is drawn first with Ethiopia’s Binyam Slissie, Burundi’s Abdoul Rahman Rukundo and Tanzania’s leading amateur Victor Joseph.

Michael Karanga is up against Uganda’s Godfrey Nsubuga, Ally Isanzu of Tanzania, and Ethiopia’s Tilaye Getane on the third flight at 8.20am, with Lejirmah drawn with Tanzania’s Dawdi Isika, Felix Dusabe of Rwanda and Uganda’s Michael Alunga, who is based at Golf Park in Kenya.

Maara will tee off at 8.40am in the company of George Sembi of Tanzania, Saidi Toyi of Burundi and Alfonse Kwizera of Rwanda.

The second round of the stroke play will take place in the afternoon, followed by the last 36 holes on Friday where the top two will meet in the match play final, while the third and fourth will battle it out for those position with the last two teams (fifth and sixth) to meet in the match play.