Samburu Governor, Lati Lelelit, Monday, officially opened the Third Edition of Governor’s Cup football tournament at the Kenyatta Stadium in Maralal, which aims at promoting peace through sports.
Speaking during the launch, the Governor noted that the tournament is designed to promote peace in Samburu County, while nurturing discipline and talent among young people, noting that sports provide a constructive outlet for the youth and can bridge divisions between communities.
“This Cup is more than football. It is about uniting our people, keeping our youth engaged and giving raw talent a platform to grow. We want to see discipline, teamwork and peace spread from this field to every corner of Samburu,” Lelelit told the youth.
Lelelit also said that the winning team will be awarded Sh 1 million, while the second will get Sh800,000 and the third team will receive Sh600,000.
The Governor added that the County government is in the process of sourcing for funds from the Kenya Devolution Support Program, to build a Sh600 million State- of- the Art Stadium.
Jorum Lesiamito from Samburu North praised the initiative to promote peace through sports, saying that it is the same youths who take-up arms to carryout banditry and cattle rustling.
“When youths from different communities have meaningful engagements such as sports, we see a reduction of insecurity, especially in Baragoi,” he said.
Organizers said that a total of 32 teams drawn from the three constituencies in Samburu will take part in the week-long matches with the final being played, Sunday.
Local coaches and referees will oversee the games, while talent scouts have been invited to identify promising players.
By Robert Githu
