Kenya has emerged as the overall winner in athletics at the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games (EAC-IPG), reaffirming the country's position as the region’s top athletics powerhouse.
In total, Team Kenya secured 6 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze medals across various disciplines at the championships held at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole Kampala, Uganda.
The Parliamentary 4x400m relay team powered to gold on the second and final day of the athletics programme, posting 4:19.8.
The quartet of Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), Mukunji Gitonga (Manyatta), Joshua Kandie (Baringo Central) and Titus Lotee (Kacheliba) outran their Ugandan rivals, who clocked 4:39.6.
Lotee added another gold with a commanding run in the 800m, finishing in 2:28.9.
In the same race, John Kaguchia (Mukurweini) won bronze in 2:38.2, while John Paul Mwirigi (Igembe South) placed fifth in 3:03.5 and Samuel Gachobe (Subukia) finished fourth in 3:14.3.
Simon King’ara (Ruiru) clinched gold in the men’s walking race in 9:49.3. His teammates Erastus Kivasu (Mbooni) and Jared Okelo (Nyando) secured silver and bronze in 9:58.5 and 10:12.8 respectively. Joshua Kimilu (Kaiti) finished fifth in 10:32.7.
In the 200m, Muthoni Marubu (Lamu County) earned bronze in 41.8 seconds, in a race won by Uganda’s Taaka Agnes in 35.8. In the women’s walking race, Edith Nyenze (Kitui West) bagged bronze after clocking 12:34.2. Susan Ngugi (Tharaka Nithi) finished fourth in 12:35.8, while Irene Mayaka (Nominated) completed the race in 15:13.4.
The women’s relay team of Jane Njeri Maina (Kirinyaga County), Ngugi, Mayaka and Marubu secured silver, finishing behind Uganda in 8:42.7, with the hosts clocking 7:13.7.
Nominated Senator Hezena Lemalitian sprinted to bronze in the 800m, timing 4:06.3, in a race won by Rwanda’s Mukabalisa Germaine in 3:43.7.
In the 200m men’s event, Senator Joe Nyutu (Murang’a) picked bronze in 27.3 seconds, while Peter Salasya placed fourth in 29.6. The race was won by Odoi Onen in 25.7, followed by Ugandan Ochan Patrick in 26.7.
Earlier in the week, Team Kenya struck gold in the men’s 4x400m relay on day one of athletics. Overall Team Kenya captain and Bunge Sports Club Co-Chairperson Vincent Musyoka (Mwala) led David Ochieng (Ugunja), Wanyama and Bernard Kitur (Nandi Hills) to victory, clocking 50.8 seconds.
Kitur also stormed to gold in the men’s 100m after posting an impressive 11.8 seconds. In the women’s 100m, Catherine Omanyo (Busia County) claimed gold, crossing the line in 16.7 seconds.
Kenya’s strong silver finishes continued with Musyoka placing second in the men’s 100m in 12.6 seconds. The women’s 4x400m relay team finished second in 1:26.0. Phylis Bartoo (Moiben) secured silver in the women’s 1500m after clocking 8:37.8, while Lotee added silver in the men’s 1500m with a close 5:24.0 behind Acan Julius, who ran 5:23.5.
Bronze medals also came in strongly for Kenya as Mukunji secured bronze in the men’s 400m in 1:03.9, while Kandie followed in fourth at 1:06.05. In the men’s 1500m, Kaguchia added another bronze in 5:54.1.
Other commendable performances included Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri, who finished fourth in the women’s 100m in 20.1 seconds. Bartoo placed fourth in the women’s 400m in 1:55.1, while Nominated Senator Beth Syengo completed the race in 2:20.3. In the men’s 1500m, Kimilu ran 6:22.7, Mwirigi 7:35.0, and Baringo Senator Kipruto Chemitei closed in 7:49.7.
