Kenyan students' trip to World University Games in jeopardy
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 04.06.25. | 13:07
Key university stakeholders raised the alarm over persistent underfunding that threatens not only international representation but also the growth of sports at the university level
Kenya’s participation in the upcoming World University Games in Germany this July hangs in the balance as the Kenya University Sports Federation (KUSF) grapples with severe financial constraints.
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This situation has cast a shadow of doubt over student-athletes’ dreams of competing on the global stage.
During the KUSF Conference held at Moi University School of Law in Annex, key university stakeholders raised the alarm over persistent underfunding that threatens not only international representation but also the growth of sports at the university level.
Dr. Alice Mutai, the acting Dean of Students at Moi University, called for urgent partnerships to address the funding gap.
She emphasised that relying solely on university allocations is no longer sustainable for a federation that brings together all university sports disciplines under one umbrella.
“The funds we collect may not be enough. Whatever we get from the university and friends, we still use it for the best of our students.
But we need to go beyond and seek collaboration from external partners and sponsors to keep our dreams alive,” Dr Mutai said.
She went on to note that the activity fees collected are insufficient to cover key areas such as facilities, equipment, and athlete facilitation, making it necessary to prioritise disciplines with the highest potential to excel at international competitions.
“We may not have a national or international outlook for our facilities, like fields are not standard, but we have not failed to train students.
Our fields are used for multiple disciplines, but when we go to international standards, we lose out. It is not about the fields to make people win, but the skills.
We need the skills before we train them to lead at the international level, and we go ahead to win because of the athletes' resilience,” she added.
Her sentiments were echoed by KUSF Secretary General Joan Adalo, who acknowledged that the federation’s rapid expansion has presented both opportunities and operational challenges. The federation now covers over 60 institutions, further bringing a challenge.
“We’re a multi-functional sports organisation, leveraging all disciplines. But it’s not easy coordinating all activities with limited resources and facilities.
The academic calendar also disrupts planning, especially during long holidays,” Adalo explained.
KUSF President Kibet Rono stressed the urgency of developing a cohesive plan to strengthen the federation’s capacity, especially as they prepare to send a national team to the World University Games.
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“We are expected to present a team in July, and we must be accountable to our students. These discussions aim to empower us technically, administratively, and socially to better run university sports both at the conference and national levels,” Rono offered.
The conference, held under the theme “Leveraging University Sports for the Future,” focused on strategic ways to sustain university sports through research, training, and administrative reforms.
