Kisumu to host ninth edition of Inter-county games

The stage is set for the ninth edition of the Kenya Inter-County Sports and Cultural Association (KICOSCA) games in Kisumu county early next year.

The annual county games will be hosted in Lakeside County between January 14 and 21 and are expected to attract about 8,000 participants from across the 47 counties.

Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said preparations to host the event have begun in earnest, with the venues and facilities that will offer accommodation to participants already identified.

“We are ready for the games and a committee working on the preparations has been constituted with strict deadlines to ensure this will be the best games ever in the history of Kicosca,” said Nyong’o.

The games, he said, aim to provide an avenue for county staff to interact and compete in the spirit of ‘friendly rivalry’.

“Besides playing in the fields, the games have had a great impact on the staff of the 47 counties as it builds cohesion, teamwork, talent development and benchmarking on best devolution practices and cultural diversities,” the governor said when he received the chain of Kicosca from his Embu counterpart Cecily Mbarire in Kisumu town yesterday.

Kisumu will be taking over the sports event from Embu county that held the eighth edition of the competition.

On her part, Mbarire said the sporting and cultural event has been instrumental in promoting regional integration as well as peace and unity among the various counties.

“These games also give a chance for economic promotion to the hosting counties. They will be able to market their products and hospitality and business communities for them to be empowered economically,” she said.

West Pokot governor and Council of Governors Chairman of Gender, Youth, Culture, Sports and Social Services committee Simon Kachapin called on the devolved units to develop robust sports infrastructure as a way of nurturing sports talents among the young people.