Unity and the Power of Sport Laikipia’s own Cup, first round: Central Unit

The South African High Commissioner Tulani Nyembe handing a Vuvuzela to the Laikipia Central DO-1.

The raucous sounds of the Vuvuzela heard on the savannah grasslands down in Lamuria at Nyakio Primary school on the 11^th of June 2010 certainly didn’t travel all the way across from South Africa; they came from the eight teams that participated in the inaugural Laikipia and Beyond Unity Cup (LUC) football tournament.

Unity being the message of the weekend, the first of five football events that culminate in the finals on July 21^st and 22^nd in Nanyuki brought the communities of the Central region together through a combination of activities focused on sport and the environment. The local community also benefited through the provision of free medical services.

A brainchild of the Zeitz Foundation, sponsored by Safaricom ltd, the LUC was hosted by Nyakio primary school, courtesy of the Headmaster Mr. Mucheru, and had its opening ceremony graced by the presence of the Acting South African High Commissioner Tulani Nyembe; MP Laikipia east constituency Hon. Assistant Minister of Water and Irrigation, Mwangi Kiunjuri; the Hon. Assistant Minister Youth and Sports, Kabando Wa Kabando; the District Officer Laikipia Central, the Lieutenant Colonel BATUK (British Army Training Unit Kenya); Laurie Sessions, a local wheat farmer; Dr. Anthony King, Director Laikipia Wildlife Forum; and Dr. Liz Rihoy, Zeitz Foundation Programme Director.

During the official opening, the MC Mr. David Ombisi of UNEP introduced the participating teams who then proceeded to march onto the field for the recital of the green pledge acknowledging their intentions to help conserve the environment:

‘The Earth is our home and together we must conserve our precious water, land, forests and wildlife. I am proud to pledge that I will unite with others throughout Laikipia and that I will give a red card to environmental destruction and defend our natural heritage'

The BATUK, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Rex Sartain and the supervision of company quarter master sergeant Davy Smyth, did a fantastic job feeding and housing almost 250 participants for the entire weekend. Indeed, this event never would have happened without all of their hard work and generous support.

Hundreds of community members lined up early in the morning to receive free medical care provided by a team consisting of 28 doctors, nurses and pharmacists from the Nanyuki District Hospital and the Kenya Air Force. In total, approximately 1,600 local people were seen and treated by the medical team, while another few hundred benefited through the provision of valuable medication. Patients were treated for a variety of ailments, including upper respiratory and urinary tract infections, and over 100 people tested and counseled for HIV/AIDS.

Members of Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), an NGO based in the slums of Nairobi and supporting sports and environmental activities, shared their experiences with the children from the community and provided football-training camps.

Football matches got underway Friday morning, with team Tigithi winning 1-0 against Ol Pejeta, and later defeating Laikipia Air Base 3-2, while Laikipia Air Base won 7-1 against Mutara. In group B, Segera team put up a good fight, yet were defeated by Nanyuki Combined 2-0. Team Sirima won 1-0 against Lamuria, and Nanyuki Combined won 4-0 against Lamuria.

At the end of the day, footballers and 100’s of community members gathered to witness the opening ceremonies of the World Cup on a large screen provided by DSTV and watch the exciting opening match played by South Africa vs. Mexico. As Africa and the rest of the world celebrated the biggest football event the world over, the LUC participants could not be left out, it was a great way to end a successful first day of the tournament.

Day 2 of the tournament proved to be another successful day. Members of the LWF and UNEP provided interactive environmental awareness education focusing on some of the main issues affecting the central region of Laikipia, such as the impact of deforestation and water conservation. The talk generated a lot of interesting discussion among all the participants.. Following the talk, everyone pitched in to clean up garbage around the school grounds and each footballer partnered with a primary student to plant a tree. Laurie Sessions a local wheat farmer and neighbor to Nyakio primary school also shared his experiences in conservation agriculture, as his no tillage method of farming is an inspiration to other farmers in the area especially since he was able to produce a harvest despite the recent drought conditions.

Day 3 of the tournament and the end of the first round of the LUC saw the Nanyuki combined team play against Tigithi scoring 1-0 to walk away with one of the unique LUC regional trophies made from recycled glass. A selection of excellent players dubbed the Central Rhinos was then put together by a team of professional talent spotters from MYSA to play in a friendly game with the MYSA football team.

The prize giving saw all team members getting certificates and medals. Volunteers and other participants who assisted in making the event possible were also awarded certificates of appreciation while all outstanding players got prizes of solar lamps. The winning team also took home goal posts and a net.

After the vote of thanks, everyone dispersed with their hearts full of hopes of a more united, greener Laikipia and definitely looking forward to the finals.