Sibanga FC celebrates after winning the match/HANDOUTZion Transcend Stadium erupted into celebration as Sibanga FC clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Kapsara FC to claim the Cheraa Unity Cup.
The team walked away with a grand prize of Sh1 million.
For the thousands of fans at the stadium from across Trans Nzoia, the high-octane football match was only part of a much larger victory.
In a cosmopolitan region historically fragmented by political and tribal alignments, this tournament has spent the last few months quietly rewriting the local narrative, using the universal language of sports to bring diverse communities together as brothers and sisters.
The profound social shift was close to the heart of the tournament’s patron and former Cherangany MP, Wesley Korir.
Speaking on the genesis of the initiative, Korir, who also serves as the patron of the Transcend Talent Academy, noted that the competitive drive on the field was secondary to the healing happening in the stands.
“While politicians have traditionally used ethnic lines to divide the electorate, the Unity Cup intentionally set those differences aside,” Korir said.
Refusing to take sides in the final, Korir cheered equally for Kapsara and Sibanga, emphasising that the true prize was the sustainable peace being forged behind the scenes.
That commitment to inclusivity extended a historic milestone to the women’s game as well.
In a powerful statement of equity, tournament organizers confirmed that the women’s final carried the exact same stakes, awarding an equal Sh1 million grand prize to the women's champions.
This equal backing ensured that youth empowerment across the region left no one behind, transforming the tournament into a benchmark for gender-balanced sports investment in the North Rift.
The vision for the Cheraa Unity Cup does not end with the final whistle or the presentation of the prize money. Moving forward, the initiative is set to transition from a local tournament into a launch pad for national excellence.
Elite talent scouted from the ground up across all fifty-six participating teams will be brought together to form a brand-new powerhouse outfit: Cherangany United FC.
Spearheaded by the Transcend Talent Academy, this united squad will be systematically nurtured to climb the football leagues, with the ultimate goal of representing the region at the highest tiers of national competition.
This forward-thinking approach drew high praise from the national leaders in attendance.
Chief Guest and Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Ali Joho, lauded the tournament's economic potential, reminding the crowd that grassroots sports is a lucrative driver for sustainable youth livelihoods.
Host Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, expressed immense pride in the peaceful execution of the event, framing sports as a vital asset for long-term regional security and cohesion.
Endebess lawmaker Dr Robert Pukose commended the tournament's multi-constituency reach.
