Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru officially launched the second edition of the county football tournament, which will see 180 teams compete for a grand cash prize of Ksh1.5 million.
The competition, known as the Governor Anne Waiguru Minji Minji Football Cup Season II, kicked off on Thursday, March 6, at Kamiigua Polytechnic Grounds.
For this year's edition, the tournament is themed Fomu ni Futaa Badala ya Kamnyweso, emphasizing the role of sports in creating awareness about drug and substance abuse among the youth.
A total of 160 male teams and 20 female teams, drawn from the county’s 20 wards, will participate, engaging approximately 4,500 young people in various capacities.
Waiguru explained that beyond fostering talent, the tournament aims to provide economic opportunities for young footballers in Kirinyaga by exposing them to professional football networks.
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“The tournament will start at the ward level, where the top two teams will advance to the sub-county level. From there, the best five male and five female teams will move on to the county level to battle it out in the finals,” she said.
According to Waiguru, the winning male team will take home Ksh1.5 million, while the second-place team will receive Ksh1 million.
The third and fourth-placed teams will earn Ksh750,000 and Ksh500,000, respectively. Additionally, teams excelling at the sub-county stage will receive cash rewards between Ksh10,000 and Ksh40,000.
Waiguru further revealed that scouts would be on the lookout for exceptional players during the tournament, with the goal of forming a county team to represent Kirinyaga in national competitions such as the Kenya Youth Inter-County Sports Association (KYISA) games.
“From the previous Minji Minji tournament, I am glad to report that some youth scouted at the wards were able to join Kirinyaga Stars and now playing at the FKF regional tournaments. The initiative thus exposes them to moving upwards to bigger leagues,” she added.
