Jkuat hosts 2016 East African University Games

Thirty-seven universities have so far confirmed participation in East African University Games to be held at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture of Technology (Jkuat) and Kenyatta University from December 16 to 22.

The biennial games will bring together universities from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and hosts Kenya, with teams competing in 18 disciplines. Kenyan universities will be hoping to outdo their Ugandan counterparts who have dominated the past nine editions.

Uganda’s Ndeje University emerged winners of the last edition held in 2014 at the Christian University in Uganda. Jkuat's Public Relations Officer Steve Wahu said plans are in top gear to ensure the institution hosts a successful tournament.

“Teams will arrive on Thursday. We are expecting about 3,500 students for the games. We call upon fans to turn out and cheer for the Kenyan sides so that we can win the trophies,” Wahu said on Thursday.

Most of the disciplines will be staged at Jkuat’s Main Campus, with basketball and football set to be played at Kenyatta University’s Main Campus. 

Athletics competitions will be held at the Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani on December 18 and 19. All final matches will be at Jkuat.

Organisers have also said that students with disabilities will compete in sitting volleyball and goalball. Previously, these two disciplines have been on held on exhibition basis but have never been held competitively. 

Competition is expected to be stiff with the local challenge spearheaded by some of the top Kenya universities such as Strathmore University and the United States International University - Africa