Why Kisii School has remained a sports powerhouse for the longest period

In East Africa’s secondary school sports, one name has become synonymous with dominance: Kisii School. After lifting the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) rugby 15s trophy in Kakamega last year with an 11-6 win over All Saints Embu, the Kisii School outfit has not just defended titles. They have redefined what sustained excellence looks like across disciplines.

Kisii School’s regional dominance starts in its own backyard. For three straight years, they have won the KSSSA Nyanza Regional 15s title in rugby, ending the long reign of St Mary’s Yala and Maseno School. “We retained the county title and continue our dominance in Nyanza,” a team official said. “It was not easy but as Kisii School, we were prepared for the challenge.”

That preparation begins with the Kisii School Open Tournament, hosted annually on their grounds under Principal Fred Mogaka. It functions as both a pre-season test and a clinic for rivals. In 2026, Kisii retained the 15s title 24-0 against Friends School Poroko of Narok. Head coach Edwin Morara noted the tournament “provided valuable lessons despite the positive outcome” — lessons not just for Kisii, but for every school that comes to measure itself against the champions.

Champions are not made by talent alone. Kisii School, led by Principal Fred Mogaka, opened its facilities to host the 2026 Kisii County Term One Games from March 3 to 6. By staging county championships in rugby, hockey, basketball, handball, and athletics, the school turns home ground into a laboratory.

The result is that Kisii’s athletes play high-stakes games without leaving their pitch. At sub-county level this year, the rugby team crushed Nyanchwa Boys 51-0 and Amasago 39-0. Games Master Dennis Omwansa said their target is “to lift at least 3 trophies at county level: rugby 15s, handball, and basketball.” When your warm-up is everyone else’s final, you arrive at regionals already battle-hardened.

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The hallmark of a dynasty is that it does not end when a captain graduates. Kisii School’s 2026 squads still play with the same tempo and structure that won FEASSA in 2025. That’s because the system is bigger than any one year. With five streams — East, West, North, South and Meridian — and 2000 students to draw from, Kisii has built depth across all sports. Junior players train watching seniors win. The expectation is set early: at Kisii, you do not just play. You defend a standard

Morara is clear about the next step for rugby: “Kisii School is a rugby powerhouse in Kenya. We want to extend that dominance beyond the country by retaining the FEASSA title in Tanzania.” But the ambition doesn’t stop there, or with one sport. “We want to proceed beyond the East Africa region,” he added. That mindset matters.

After losing 14-6 to Vihiga Boys in the 2025 KSSSA national final at Shimo la Tewa, Kisii did not retreat. They went on to win FEASSA weeks later. The national loss became fuel, not a verdict. In 2026, with the nationals that played and were crowned at Kisumu from April 5 to 13, Kisii wanted both trophies: the national crown and the East Africa repeat, as a springboard to test themselves against the continent and the world.

Kisii’s success is spilling across sports, which strengthens the whole program. Handball coach Clinton Kenyanya says his team is “ready to follow in the footsteps of the rugby team” after gaining experience at regionals last year. Hosting the county games March 3-6 “gives us motivation”. A school that wins across disciplines builds athletes who understand competition, discipline, and recovery — skills every champion needs when finals get tight.

Kisii School remains a sports powerhouse because winning is not an event for them. It is infrastructure. It is the open tournament that sharpens opponents and still ends 24-0. It is the principal who opens the gates for county games, knowing pressure at home forges poise abroad. It is a coach who treats a national final loss as a lesson, not a limit.

As Chief Principal Fred Mogaka frames the 2026 season, the goal is triple: county, national, FEASSA. But with the county title already retained and East Africa conquered in rugby, the next frontier is clear for all sports — to proceed beyond the East Africa region. Given the last three years, betting against them would mean betting against a system that has already ended two dynasties in Nyanza and is building a third that looks outward to the continent. Kisii School does not just play sports. They keep the trophies because they keep the standard.

By Enock Okong’o