Team Kenya claimed honours at the Uganda–Kenya Coast Open held at Vipingo Ridge, with Dr Wilson Miano emerging as the overall winner.
Played on the PGA Baobab Course, the event featured a Team Kenya versus Team Uganda contest hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Uganda in Mombasa.
Miano led the Kenyan contingent, while Rose Musau won the ladies’ category and Kagwe Kibugu claimed the best man award.
Uganda’s Angelo Wasike took the overall gross winner award, while Maureen Obunga finished second runner-up and Zawadi Safari placed third runner-up.
Miano praised the course and the hospitality extended to the participants, expressing optimism that the tournament would attract more golfers to the Kenyan Coast.
“The course was a fantastic test and the hospitality was even better. I will be back with my golfing friends next year for the Kenya Coast Open,” he said.
Malindi Golf Club captain Sifa Dena described the tournament as an opportunity to strengthen ties between Kenya and Uganda while promoting sports tourism along the Coast.
She said hosting golfers from both countries demonstrated the region’s potential as a golfing destination and highlighted the role of sporting events in attracting visitors.
“Golf brings people to the Coast who stay longer, spend more and come back. Hosting Ugandan and Kenyan golfers on the same course shows what Vipingo Ridge and the Coast can offer as a golfing destination,” Dena said.
The tournament formed part of the build-up to the fifth Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit, held in Mombasa on October 26–27. It also highlighted the growing role of sport in promoting cross-border travel and regional tourism.
Kenya and Uganda have increasingly used sporting events to attract regional and international visitors. Kenya hosted the 57th Magical Kenya Open, a DP World Tour event, in February 2026, while the Safari Rally’s “WRC Tugende Kenya” campaign attracted an estimated 33,000 regional motorsport fans, many from Uganda.
The two countries, alongside Tanzania, are also preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which is expected to provide another opportunity to showcase East Africa’s tourism attractions.
The Uganda–Kenya Coast Open further demonstrated how golf can strengthen regional partnerships while positioning the Kenyan Coast as a destination for sports tourism.
