KSSSA introduces strict measures to curb age cheating

The Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) has introduced stringent measures to curb age cheating in this year’s school games, reinforcing fair play and integrity in student competitions.

In recent years, Kenya’s secondary school games have faced an alarming rise in age cheating cases, threatening the credibility of the country's primary feeder system for national sports teams.

The 2024 Term Two games saw multiple disqualifications due to age fraud, which saw KSSSA Secretary General David Ngugi promise strict measures for the 2025 games that have already kicked off across the country.

KSSSA now mandates that all student-athletes present school identity cards with enhanced verification details.

According to a statement from the association, these IDs must include the student's full name, admission number, class, date of birth, and year of their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination.

Furthermore, each ID must feature a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) number, a stamp cut across the student’s photo, and the principal’s signature.

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Transfer students must have their previous school details and admission dates on the ID, with a maximum of two transfers allowed per school team.

The ID should indicate the transfer school, Certificate of Admission (C.O.A), and date of admission. At most, two players transferring from the same school are allowed to join a team.

Students who sat for the 2024 KCSE and opted to repeat will be ineligible, as KSSSA considers them to have completed their secondary education.

Schools must submit three certified group photos of team sports participants in school uniform, taken with the principal and coaching staff. The back of each photo must bear certification from the school principal.

Moreover, each school must provide six copies of the official team list printed on the institution’s letterhead, containing crucial details such as students’ names, admission numbers, class details, date of birth, KCPE index number, UPI number, and the principal’s certification.

KSSSA has also set squad limits for different sporting disciplines. Football and hockey teams are limited to 20 players, volleyball teams to 12 players, and basketball five-a-side teams to 12 players.

Basketball three-a-side teams can have five players, while handball and netball teams are limited to 14 players each.

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Rugby 7s teams can have 12 players, and rugby 15s teams can have 25 players. Racquet games such as badminton, table tennis, and lawn tennis are limited to six players each while swimming teams can have 15 athletes. Squad sizes for athletics teams will depend on event requirements.

Despite these efforts, cases of age fraud remained prevalent last year. In Nyanza, Onjiko High School’s football team was disqualified after Katolo appealed during the Nyando Sub-County games.

Ironically, Katolo, who advanced to the Kisumu County finals through their appeal, was later disqualified for the same offence in their 2-1 semifinal win over Kisumu Day. Kisumu Day went on to win the final 2-0 against Agai.

At the Nyanza regional level, Riokindo was disqualified in volleyball for fielding ineligible players, while Sameta suffered the same fate in lawn tennis after enrolling a university student.

The Rift Valley Secondary School games also saw the disqualification and two-year ban of Itigo Girls High School from Nandi County and Kabarnet Boys High School for age fraud.

Itigo Girls altered player documents and were expelled despite their 3-0 quarter-final victory over Moi Girls. Similarly, former national and East Africa champions Wiyeta Girls from Trans Nzoia were edged out and replaced by St Joseph Girls High School.

At the Coast Region, several schools faced heavy fines and bans for fielding non-students.

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Kenya’s school games have historically served as a crucial stepping stone for budding athletes.

Stars like former Shujaa rugby player Billy Odhiambo (Maseno School), Harambee Stars and former Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla (Kisumu Day), and women’s 800m World Champion Mary Moraa (Mogonga P.A.G) honed their skills in these competitions.