Kenyan MPs shine at Kigali games
From left: Kenyan MPs David Ochieng (Ugenya), Dan Wanyama (Webuye), Isaac Melly (Senator Uasin Gishu) and Kanini Kega (Kieni) pose after after winning the 4x100m relay during the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games in Rwanda. PHOTO | COURTESY |
What you need to know:
- Tanzania, Burundi a no-show as regional legislators tussle it out
- Kenya dominated on most fronts, winning the title in athletics, volleyball (men) and tug-of-war (both men and women) disciplines.
- Team Kenya also came second and third, respectively, in netball and men’s football.
- Kenya lost in the netball final to a strong Uganda side, who won the match 35-6 to lift the title.
Kenya beat a strong regional field to the overall title at the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games that ended in Kigali last weekend.
The East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) also graced this two-day sports event at both the Amaharo National Stadium and Nyamirambo Regional Stadium.
Tanzania, which recently held general elections, and Burundi, which is experiencing civil strife, however did not join hosts Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda in the battle for regional honour.
Kenya dominated on most fronts, winning the title in athletics, volleyball (men) and tug-of-war (both men and women) disciplines. Team Kenya also came second and third, respectively, in netball and men’s football.
It was a unique achievement on all fronts. Led by 2012 Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir, Dan Wanyama and Isaac Melly, Kenya exhibited a solidarity rarely seen in members of the government and opposition sides.
In athletics, Melly — who is the Senator for Uasin Gishu County, an area renowned for producing world class athletes — kick-started the winning streak by easily claiming the 100 metres race in an impressive 11.67 seconds. Another Kenyan legislator, David Ochieng, came in second with Rwanda’s Gatabazi J.M.V settling for the bronze medal.
Webuye West MP Wanyama, a former Kenya volleyball team captain and coach, won the 200m race, followed by Uganda’s Tom Aza and Damien Nyabeyenda of Rwanda.
Machakos MP Victor Munyaka triumphed in the 400m while Cherangany MP Korir easily ran away with both the 800m and 1,500m races.
In volleyball, Wanyama led the Kenyan team consisting Melly, Arthur Odera, Leonard Sang, David Rotich and Stephen Kaako to defeat the hosts in two sets with identical 25-20 and 25-20 scores.
In the tug-of-war, both Kenya men and women sides carried the day with the former beating Rwanda and EALA by 2-1 pulls. The women won by beating Eala and Rwanda on two pulls.
A strong Kenyan golf team of Mathare MP Stephen Kariuki, Kieni MP Kanini Kega and Bernard Muriuki carried the day while EALA’s Kenyan MP Peter Mathuki won in his category.
LOST IN NETBALL FINAL
Mathare MP Stephen Kariuki garnered 36 points, followed by Kega with 35 points and Limuru MP Kiragu Chege with 33.
In the individual categories, Kariuki carried the day with 36 points playing off handicap 12, followed by EALA’s handicap 28 Mathuki with 25 points while Rwanda’s Theo Mporanyi came in third with 22, also playing off handicap 28.
However, Kenya lost in the netball final to a strong Uganda side, who won the match 35-6 to lift the title.
