Dilip Shah reacts during a Safaricom sponsored tournament. Corporate firms have continued to support the Kenya Golf Union. Photo/File
The Kenya Golf Union will on Friday hold its annual meeting at the Muthaiga Golf Club. The union, probably the best-run sports body in Kenya, has consistently held its AGM on time with little or no drama.
The fireworks at the 2011 AGM opened up democratic space at the union and shifted power back, some may say rightfully so, to the golf clubs and the captains.
The team led by Mwaniki Gachoka leaves office after a quiet and uneventful year that saw Kenya retain the East Africa Golf Challenge Trophy and lose ground at the Africa Amateur Golf Championship.
In Arusha, and at the EA Golf Challenge, Kenya overcame hosts Tanzania winning the event with a narrow margin.
Uganda, who teed off in Arusha as defending champions, played poorly and finished a distant third. Rwanda was fourth and Burundi was fifth.
At the Lilongwe Golf Club in Malawi, venue of the Africa Amateur Golf Championship, Kenya finished third to South Africa and Namibia and only narrowly beat Zimbabwe.
South Africa has now won the Africa Amateur Golf Championship a record 12 times since the inception of this event in 2000. Kenya won the championship in 2010 in Botswana but failed to defend the title at home in 2011.
But what milestones, what targets has the out-going team hit? And what have they missed?
According to Gachoka, the year has been a great success. “I worked with a very strong team throughout the year, the entire KGU Executive Committee was committed and we received tremendous support from the golf clubs, the golfers and our various sponsors.
“I must say I would have liked to see more results in Junior Golf; this is an area that requires our full support to ensure we have a strong amateur side in the future,” Gachoka said.
“Further, I had the pleasure to work with equally strong teams in the Kenya Ladies Golf Union, the Kenya Open Golf Limited, the Junior Golf Foundation, the Golf Talent Foundation and other golf administrative wings.”
Corporate firms that have continued to support the Kenya Golf Union include the NIC Bank, Keringet, Barclays Bank, Kenya Airways and Safaricom.
“The KGU belongs to the golfers and it is therefore the obligation of both the individual golfing members, the golf clubs and the sponsors to support the union,” Mr Gachoka added.
“To run effective junior programmes and to scout for golf talent across the country is an expensive affair and the union will continue to invite partners in these developmental programs. Kenya has done well as a golfing nation, but much more needs to be done,” he said.
Talk of the town
Kiambu’s Alfred Kariuki will now take over as KGU chairman, Royal’s Francis Okwara will be vice-chair, Sigona’s Peter Warui will continue as secretary and Muthaiga’s Richard Wanjallah steps in as Treasurer.
The executive committee includes Anthony Muhoro, GK Mungai, Anthony Gacheru, Ndiga Kithae, Peter Wartnaby and Muchau Githiaka.
Also in Nairobi, Citi Bank will host their top clients at a corporate golf day at the Karen Country Club.
The event is already the talk of the town. Over 170 golfers drawn from the corporate world will gather to join Citi Bank as they celebrate 200 years of operations.
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