The 13th edition of the Kenya Inter-County Sports and Cultural Association (KICOSCA) Games will be held in West Pokot County from November 22-29, with organisers revealing preparations are on course.
KICOSCA chairman John Angawa said Kapenguria and Makutano towns will host the week-long competition, with Makutano Stadium staging the opening and closing ceremonies.
Other events will be held at Kapenguria High School, Tartar Girls and neighbouring schools, while golf and squash competitions will take place at Kitale Club in neighbouring Trans Nzoia County.
“We have inspected the playing fields, indoor halls and accommodation facilities twice. We are impressed with the progress of renovations of some of the facilities. We shall make final inspections on November 18,” said Angawa. This year’s theme is “Promoting National Cohesion and Peaceful Co-existence through Sports and Culture”.
Angawa said the competition will also serve as a selection platform for Team Kenya ahead of the East Africa Local Authorities Sports and Cultural Association (EALASCA) Games, which will be staged either in Kampala, Uganda, or Kigali, Rwanda.
He revealed that Wajir County will make its debut at this year’s competition, with organisers expecting more than 40 counties to participate, up from 39 last year.
The organisers have also introduced men’s netball and goalball for visually impaired athletes to broaden participation. County employees will compete in football, volleyball, golf, basketball, netball, handball, darts, athletics, pool, chess, scrabble and tug-of-war. The programme will also feature cultural and performing arts competitions.
West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin welcomed all 47 counties to the region, saying more than 15,000 participants are expected at the annual showpiece.
Kachapin, who chairs the Council of Governors’ Committee on Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture and Social Services, described the games as an important platform for promoting national unity, peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity among counties. He urged officials involved in organising the competition to uphold high standards of integrity and accountability, noting that the event had grown into a critical inter-county initiative.
