Why Eldoret with 115 years of heritage should be Kenya's top sports tourism destination

It was pomp and colour on Thursday 15 August in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County as President William Ruto awarded the municipality a city status.

The charter makes Eldoret the fifth city after Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nakuru.

Now, this elevation comes with the promise of a brighter future for the various sectors, chief among them sports in the region which has had an equal share of ups and downs for more than a century.

For beginners, the first rugby match in Kenya was played in Eldoret in 1909 between the British and Afrikaner settlers.

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So, why has Eldoret not been so keen on this sub-sector?

Eldoret’s potential

God knows, and we all do. The city has immense potential to be a magnetic sporting destination.

This county’s talent in sports of all sorts is almost unmatched nationally. It is also ideally located to serve the Rift Valley and Western Kenya tourism circuit at the regional and national levels.

Above all, it is located on a plateau with a cool temperate climate that is considered one of the best in the world.

Mozzart Sport looks at different sports which with a concerted effort of private businesses, county and national government, and sports associations, will certainly bring in an extra coin or two to the city.

Motorsport

Eldoret Rally was the first race of the 2024 Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC). It was hosted by the Western Kenya Motor Club from Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 February.

The rally is one of Kenya’s longest-running rally-sport fixtures; synonyms with picturesque escapement stages. One of the outstanding features of the rally is the high-altitude terrain, where teams were compelled to fine-tune their cars accordingly to suit the treacherous escarpment conditions.

Eldoret has over the years presented a unique atmosphere for competitors and spectators alike.

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There are however concerns as this year’s edition registered just nine cars. This was a stark contrast with the early days of the KNRC, which used to see grids of over 50 competitors.

The fast, flashy cars would zoom past as they headed for the terrain, with excited fans dotting the routes. Why can’t this be back?

Rugby

The mention of Sepetuka 7s is nostalgic to any rugby fan. The event was a slammer! It electrified the town, bringing together top players and fans. It was scrapped off the calendar, and the introduced Tisap 7s could hardly match the standards. The leg was then awarded to Kabras RFC who named it Kakamega Ingo 7s.

Imagine it was a national clubs’ event. What if the national teams, both 7s and 15s, were to, from time to time, hold their matches in Eldoret to gain altitude advantage over opponents?

Football

Any football fan in Eldoret in the 1980s and 1990s will recall the golden days when pulsating football matches in a packed Kipchoge Keino Stadium electrified the town and brought businesses to a standstill almost every weekend.

Top clubs including AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia, Kenya Breweries (now Tusker FC), Shabana FC, and Posta Rangers among others would also play in Eldoret, a town that was also famous for athletics.

The famous ‘Eldoret derby’ pitting the two football giants Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) FC and Rivatex FC occasionally happened at the iconic Kipchoge Keino stadium and fans would flock to the town from as far as Kisumu, Kakamega, Kitale, and Bungoma to witness.

The state-owned firms - Eldoret KCC and Rivatex however collapsed in 1998; and the decorated football clubs stumbled to misery.

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This can be brought back bigger. With standard facilities, regional, national, and continental matches can be hosted in the city.

Swimming

Do we have Olympic-sized standard swimming pools? Pools that can host at least school championships? Who would not love to swim competitively under the glorious weather? Somebody tag the county government to give us an answer.

Golf

With a golf course; the Eldoret Club, this city has the key to unlocking this potential in the region.

Sports Ambassadors

Lastly, Eldoret has all the who's who's in Kenyan athletics. Needless to say, make sports people brand ambassadors for the city’s brand-building sporty touch.

From Janeth Jepkosgei alias Eldoret Express, Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge, Kipchoge Keino, and Vivian Cheruiyot, among many other sports heroes/heroines from Eldoret and the region, the county government should tap into their networks and have them represent the region as leading lights of sports prowess.