- KPJSSA has unveiled the official pool draw for the 2026 National Ball Games, setting the stage for intense competition in Thika.
- Teams from all eight regions have been grouped into pools across football, volleyball, handball and netball, with regional champions having sharpened their focus on national glory.
- Selected winners have been scheduled to remain in Thika for a training camp ahead of the FEASSSA Games in Tanzania
The Kenya Primary and Junior Schools Sports Association (KPJSSA) has unveiled the official pool draw for the 2026 National Ball Games, setting the stage for a week of intense competition in Thika, Kiambu County. The championships, scheduled for August 2–6, will run alongside the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Games, making Thika the epicentre of school sports in Kenya.
The M-Pesa Foundation Academy will serve as the main venue, with additional fixtures spread across selected facilities within Thika Municipality. Teams representing all eight regions are expected to arrive on July 31, ahead of the opening ceremony and the start of matches. Organisers anticipate hundreds of schools, learners, coaches and officials converging for what has been billed as Kenya’s biggest school sports festival.
Intriguing Football Pool Pairings
The draw has produced captivating matchups across football, volleyball, handball and netball, with regional champions now sharpening their focus on national glory. In boys’ football, Pool A features North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley and Coast, while Pool B brings together Central, Western, Nairobi and Eastern. The girls’ football competition has Nyanza, Rift Valley, Nairobi and Central in Pool A, while Western, Coast, Eastern and North Eastern form Pool B.
Volleyball promises equally competitive encounters. Boys’ Pool A includes Rift Valley, Nyanza, Nairobi and Western, while Pool B pits Eastern, Coast, North Eastern and Central against each other. In the girls’ category, Rift Valley, Eastern, Coast and Central are grouped in Pool A, with Nyanza, Western, North Eastern and Nairobi in Pool B.
Handball has drawn Western, Rift Valley, Coast and Nairobi in boys’ Pool A, while Nyanza, Eastern, Central and North Eastern make up Pool B. For the girls, Pool A comprises Nyanza, Western, Nairobi and Central, while Rift Valley, Coast, Eastern and North Eastern contest Pool B.
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Netball, a traditional crowd-puller, will see Rift Valley, North Eastern, Western and Eastern in boys’ Pool A, with Nyanza, Coast, Central and Nairobi in Pool B. The girls’ competition has Nyanza, Rift Valley, Coast and Central in Pool A, while Western, Eastern, Nairobi and North Eastern are drawn in Pool B.
Following the conclusion of the championships on August 6, selected national winners will remain in Thika for a training camp from August 7–10. The camp will prepare them for the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games in Tanzania, where they will represent Kenya against regional rivals.
With the pools now confirmed, teams across the country have entered the final stretch of preparations. Coaches are fine-tuning tactics, players are sharpening skills, and anticipation is building as the countdown to the national finals enters its last days.
By Jeff Kirui
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