- Menengai High School could miss the FEASSSA Games in Morogoro despite finishing third at the KSSSA nationals.
- The school was left out of the funded travelling contingent as KSSSA grapples with financial constraints.
- An urgent appeal has now been made to Nakuru leaders, businesses and well-wishers to rescue the team.
Menengai High School’s hopes of representing Kenya at the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games in Morogoro, Tanzania, have been thrown into uncertainty after the school was left out of the travelling contingent over financial constraints.
The Nakuru-based school finished third in the boys’ football competition at the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national games, a position that ordinarily would have placed it among the teams eligible for the regional competition.
However, KSSSA has indicated that it is unable to finance all teams that finished third in the various disciplines, leaving Menengai High School facing an agonising wait on the sidelines.
The door, however, remains open for the school to participate if it can raise the required funds to cater for its delegation and travel to Tanzania.
Urgent appeal for financial support
The development has sparked an urgent appeal to leaders, well-wishers and corporate organisations in the Rift Valley region to come to the team’s rescue.
The team had already reported to camp in preparation for the FEASSSA Games but left on Saturday afternoon heartbroken after learning that it would not be travelling as part of the funded contingent.
The situation has also raised hopes that the Nakuru County Government could intervene and help finance the team, particularly because Menengai High School has already been pooled in the boys’ football category for the Morogoro games.
There is precedent for such support. Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera has stepped forward to support Archbishop Njenga, who finished third in girls’ football at the KSSSA national championships, enabling the team to pursue its regional dream.
The intervention has renewed calls for leaders from the Rift Valley region to emulate Nabwera and support Menengai High School.
Clock ticking on Morogoro dream
With the FEASSSA Games set to take place in Morogoro, Tanzania, the clock is ticking for the school to secure the necessary funding.
For the players and coaching staff who have invested weeks of preparation, the possibility of missing the regional stage because of finances is a bitter disappointment.
The school’s supporters are now calling on the Nakuru County Government, elected leaders, businesses and other stakeholders to act swiftly and give the talented young footballers an opportunity to compete on the East African stage.
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Menengai High School’s FEASSSA dream is not entirely over — but without urgent financial intervention, the team could be forced to watch the tournament from home.
The question now is: Who will step up and fund Menengai High School’s journey to Morogoro?
By Jeff Kirui
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