The Ministry of Interior in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and other stakeholders organizing this year’s Mashujaa Day celebration in Eldoret and co-hosted by three counties of Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi, has launched sporting tournament dubbed; Mashujaa Day Champions Edition: 3 counties, 3 Champions, 3 Cohosts, with the theme; ‘Promoting peace and cohesion through sports.

The initiative is part of activities leading up to the October 20 Mashujaa Day celebrations to be hosted in Eldoret.

The Champions tournament worth Sh 63 million of prize money, will feature athletics, volleyball and football games and will involve teams from the ward up to the County level.

The Wards finals will be held on 26th September, Sub-county finals 3rd October, while County finals will be played on October 11.

The inter-county finals will be hosted separately across the participating counties. Elgeyo Marakwet will host Marathon finals on 18th October, while Nandi will host Volleyball finals on October 19 and finally Uasin Gishu will host the curtain raiser football finals, during the eve of the Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20, 2026, presided by President William Ruto.

Speaking during the Mashujaa Day 20th October 2026 Sporting Tournament Breakfast Launch on Sunday, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, called for concerted efforts to make the national celebrations more colourful.

The event was attended by Secretary Administration, Ministry of Sports, Kipchumba Ruto, governors, MPs, MCAs, County Commissioners and other officials from the three co-hosting counties.

CS said the competition would bring together young people from Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, with matches starting at the village level and progressing through successive stages.

Murkomen disclosed that the decision to take the tournament to the grassroots was intended to ensure that communities across the three counties actively participate in the celebrations, while creating a platform for identifying and nurturing emerging sporting talent.

He revealed that more than 10,000 participants were expected to benefit from monetary awards throughout the competition, with about Sh60 million set to be channeled directly to participants across the three counties.

CS added that teams would have to register at the beginning of the competition and maintain their membership throughout the tournament, to prevent players from being brought in at later stages.

Murkomen said the organizers would use a digital registration system, to capture details of all participants and prevent manipulation of teams as the competition progresses.

He further announced that professional players competing in Division Two leagues and above, would not be allowed to participate, saying the tournament was primarily intended to provide opportunities for upcoming players.

The CS said established football clubs would be invited to scout the competition for promising talent.

“This is an opportunity for us to seek and market new talent for people who have got the skills,” he said.

Murkomen indicated that the tournament would also promote clean sport and fairness, with organizers expected to enforce strict registration and competition rules.

Reports on the launch indicate that anti-doping measures will form part of the programme.

The Interior CS highlighted the Government’s investment in sports infrastructure, saying the administration had embarked on a major expansion of sporting facilities across the country.

He said the Government was working towards establishing sports academies and community stadiums, with the long-term objective of expanding access to sporting facilities at the grassroots.

CS linked the investment to Kenya’s preparations to host major international sporting events, including the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania, and the 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi.

Murkomen said hosting the international competitions would expose Kenya’s sporting capabilities to the world, while inspiring more young people to pursue sports.

He said the Mashujaa Day sporting activities would, therefore, serve a dual purpose of celebrating the country, while identifying and supporting young sporting talent.

The CS said the Government would rely largely on existing national and county government structures to organise the tournament, in order to minimize administrative costs.

County officials, ward administrators and other public officers, would coordinate activities as part of their normal duties, while county health departments, would provide medical personnel and ambulances at sporting venues.

He said the approach would ensure that available resources were directed towards the participants and sporting activities rather than administrative expenses.

The 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations will culminate at the upgraded Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, with the wider programme incorporating sporting, cultural, security and economic activities across Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet.

By Ekuwam Sylvester