The 2026 Rift Valley school games have been overshadowed by disciplinary rulings after Tenwek Boys High School and Totum Mixed Junior Secondary School were disqualified for fielding ineligible players, leading to major changes in the region’s representatives to the national championships.
In the secondary schools’ category, Tenwek Boys High School was stripped of its qualification to the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Games after the tournament’s disciplinary committee reportedly found that the school had used ineligible players during the Rift Valley regional football competition.
Tenwek had initially secured the regional title after defeating Menengai High School in the finals. However, following investigations into player eligibility, the result was overturned, with Menengai High School of Nakuru County being awarded the Rift Valley ticket to the KSSSA National Games.
A similar scenario unfolded in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) girls’ football competition where Hill School Girls of Uasin Gishu County have officially been crowned the 2026 Rift Valley JSS Girls’ Football Champions following a successful appeal against Totum Mixed Junior Secondary School of West Pokot County.
Totum Mixed had originally lifted the regional title after defeating Hill School Girls 4-2 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time during the final. However, the disciplinary committee later established that Totum Mixed had fielded ineligible players, leading to the school’s disqualification from the competition.
Following the ruling, Hill School Girls were declared the rightful regional champions and will now represent the Rift Valley Region at the Kenya Junior Secondary Schools Association (KJSSA) National Games in Thika, Kiambu County.
As the national championships draw closer, Menengai High School and Hill School Girls will now carry the Rift Valley flag in their respective categories, while the disciplinary rulings serve as a strong reminder that success in school sports must be achieved within the rules governing the competitions.
