BY PHILLIP ORWA
Around 200 golfers are expected to grace the ongoing 2026 NCBA Golf Series, which continues this weekend with the sixteenth qualifying leg set for Karen Country Club.
The golfers from across the region are expected to tee off on Saturday in what promises to be another competitive outing on the NCBA Golf Series calendar.
The players will be competing for top honours and qualification slots to the Series Grand Finale, which will be held at the same venue in November.
The Series has continued to attract strong participation across the country, with golfers competing for a chance to qualify for the season-ending event that brings together winners and top performers from qualifying legs staged throughout the year.
Meanwhile, attention on the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) circuit shifts to Kakamega Sports Club, which will host the NCBA Goldfields Trophy from Friday to Sunday.
The tournament has attracted a field of 66 golfers from four countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, who will battle for the title, valuable KAGC Order of Merit points, and a share of the Sh500,000 prize purse.
The Kenyan challenge will be led by top contenders, including Kiambu Open winner John Kamaisi, NCBA Ronald Marshall & Toby Gibson Matchplay champion Elvis Muigua, Golf Park’s Josphat Rono, Amos Odongo, Ken Serem, and home player Cedric Konzolo.
Regional competition is expected from a strong Rwandan contingent led by Hitayezu Jean D’Amour, Felix Dusabe, Alain Niyonkuru and Jacques Byiringiro, alongside Uganda’s Abraham Olupot, Robert Masaba, Ben Okanya and Lawrence Okwii, while Burundi will be represented by Salum Nkurunziza.
The tournament is guaranteed to produce a new champion following the transition of two-time winner John Lejirma to the professional ranks earlier this year. Lejirma claimed both the 2024 and 2025 editions before joining the paid ranks.
The event follows last week’s NCBA Ruiru Open, where Muthaiga Golf Club’s Eugene Wafula secured his maiden KAGC title after carding a tournament total of two-under-par 217 to edge out John Kamaisi by a single stroke.
Speaking ahead of the weekend’s events, NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora said the bank remains committed to supporting the growth of golf across all levels.
“This weekend highlights the diversity of golf development in Kenya. While the NCBA Golf Series continues to provide club golfers with opportunities to compete and qualify for the Grand Finale, the NCBA Goldfields Trophy offers some of the region’s leading amateur golfers a platform to compete for ranking points and further their development. We are encouraged by the continued growth in participation across both circuits and remain committed to supporting the game across all levels.”
The two events form part of NCBA’s broader golf sponsorship programme, which spans junior, amateur, professional and club golf, reflecting the bank’s long-term commitment to growing the sport across Kenya and the wider region.
