Rwanda comes alive as East Africa School Games begin

Rwanda’s southern town of Huye comes alive Saturday morning as the 20th edition of the Federation of the East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (Feasssa) Games gets underway.

For the next nine days in this town that is 129km from the capital Kigali, over 2500 students drawn from schools from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda will do battle in football, volleyball, rugby sevens and 15s, netball, basketball (3x3, 5×5), netball, racquet games, hockey, handball, swimming and athletics.

Kenya is represented by 975 students in the annual championship that has returned to Huye after eight years.

The country will also have two primary school teams and one for the Special Needs Education (SNE). Team Kenya will be out to reclaim the overall title after playing second fiddle to Uganda in the last two editions held in Arusha.

The Kenyan contingent has happy memories of Huye after they reclaimed the team title from rivals Uganda in the 2015 edition.

Kenya will  field three teams in all disciplines except rugby sevens and volleyball where four sides will fly the country's flag.

Kenya won the volleyball titles last year and with Tanzania not fielding teams in rugby, the other nations have been given extra slots.

Team Kenya arrived in Huye late Thursday, while Uganda and Tanzania were expected Friday morning. Burundi and South Sudan, which are the members of Feasssa, will not send teams to this year’s edition.

Expectations are high that the country will do well in Rwanda after a below par performance in Arusha last year. 

Uganda defended the overall team title after winning 41 medals, while Kenya, who last won the title in 2018, were placed second once again with 20 medals.

Rwanda finished third with eight medals, as hosts Tanzania wound up fourth with six medals.

Kenyan sides will be in action on the first day of action with the highlight being the only boys’ football match pitting Dagoretti High School and Rwandan champions Ecose Musambira at the Huye International Stadium. The match will be preceded by the opening ceremony.

Dagoretti, who lost to St Anthony’s Boys High School in the Kenyan final last Saturday, are making their second appearance at the regionals after their bow in 2019. 

Dagoretti coach Joseph Makokha is hoping for a better outing this time.

“In 2019, we were rookies at this level and didn’t perform well. However, we learnt our lessons and I believe this year we will have a decent run,” said Makokha.

“Ditchez” will need to be at their best in a Pool “B” that also has the Ugandan duo of 13-time champions St Mary’s Kitende, holders Kibuli Secondary School as well as Tanzania’s Kiwira Coal Mine.

Kenya’s other football representatives, St Anthony’s and Shanderema Secondary School are in Pool “A” alongside Tanzania champions Kalangalala Secondary School, St. Henry's College, Kitovu, Amus College School (both Uganda) and home side College George The Fox Kagarama (CGFK).

Saturday’s fixtures

Football

Boys: Ecose Musambira (Rw) v Dagoretti High (Ke)

Volleyball

Boys: Standard High (Ug) v Andersen Sec (Ke), Namugongo Voc SS (Ug) v Tumaini Sec (Ke)

Girls: Nasuli Sec (Tz) v Mwitoti Girls (Ke), GS St. Aloys (Rw) v Kwanthanze Sec (Ke), Soweto (Ke) v Seroma Christian HS (Ug)

Handball

Boys: Mbooni High (Ke) v Bombo Army SS (Ug)

Girls: Moi Girls, Kamusinga (Ke) v Kibuli SS (Ug)

Hockey

Girls: Bweranyangi Girls (Ug) v St Joseph’s Kitale (Ke), Tigoi Girls (Ke) V Nyamira Girls (Ke)