By: James Wakahiu
Worth Noting:
- Launching this year’s event recently, Meru county Governor Kiraitu Murungi said the purpose of the championship, now an international event, is to bring more visibility and tourism to the region, especially mountain-related tourism activities. “We also plan to raise funds for the new Cancer Institute in Meru as well as fund wildlife conservation,” he said.
- Top athletes from Mount Kenya region asked the County Government of Meru to help them to fulfill their dreams by building a training camp in Meru to make the county a second home for champions.
- The global event, to be hosted in partnership with Athletics Kenya among other corporate sponsors, will play a vital role in helping local and international athletes prepare for this year’s busy athletics calendar.
All roads lead to Meru County this weekend as the region hosts the second edition of the Mt Kenya Mountain Running Championships at the Kenya School of Adventure and Leadership (KSAL).
The athletics event, which has attracted top athletes including foreigners as well as other sports enthusiasts given its top prize money of Sh500,000 for overall winners, will be flagged off at 8am on Saturday the 26th of February, 2022. Last year, the Championships raised Sh25 million which was directed towards the setting up of the Meru Cancer Institute.
With the maiden championships hosting over 3,000 participants in 2020, this year’s event hopes to attract many more participants and donors toward the Bongo-Black rhino conservation efforts and Meru’s fight against cancer.
And for the second year in a row, Mount Kenya University (MKU) is among the sponsors of the run and has already issued a cheque of Sh500, 000 as the college continues to support sporting activities within the university and in the communities it operates in.
“Sports are an important accompaniment in education and very vital in necessitating good performance and keeping students away from unwanted vices, such as dwelling into drugs and substance abuse,” says MKU founder and chairman of the board, Prof Simon Gicharu.
Launching this year’s event recently, Meru county Governor Kiraitu Murungi said the purpose of the championship, now an international event, is to bring more visibility and tourism to the region, especially mountain-related tourism activities. “We also plan to raise funds for the new Cancer Institute in Meru as well as fund wildlife conservation,” he said.
Top athletes from Mount Kenya region asked the County Government of Meru to help them to fulfill their dreams by building a training camp in Meru to make the county a second home for champions.
The global event, to be hosted in partnership with Athletics Kenya among other corporate sponsors, will play a vital role in helping local and international athletes prepare for this year’s busy athletics calendar.
Governor Kiraitu appreciated the previous year’s donors. “I call on as many professional athletes, individuals and institutions to come and participate, partner with us and support us towards our main aim is to establish a state-of-the-art Meru Cancer Centre, conservation of the black rhino and mountain bongo and promotion of mountain tourism in our county,” he added.
Speaking during the launch, the chief Guest, Peter Kenneth lauded the County Government for setting up a unique tourism offering that will help position Kenya- and Meru in particular- as a sports-tourism destination.
Meanwhile, MKU founder and chairman of the board, Prof Simon Gcharu, have congratulated the university’s sports teams for emerging the second best overall at the annual Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) games that took place in December 2021. “The University has become a highly ranked institution according to the recent sports ranking that placed MKU among the top four universities in Kenya.
“As a revitalized way of kicking of sporting activities and adhering to COVID – 19 containment measures as guided by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, MKU Management has stepped up matters sports,” he said as he officially commissioned a new state-of-the-art tennis court at the institution’s main campus, Thika town.
Prof Gicharu also officially launched the Wood Ball Game that is fast gaining popularity in the country, with most universities having embraced it. To bolster sports activities at the institution, all MKU sports teams received new sports equipment and uniforms worth millions of shillings.
MKU vice chancellor, Prof Deogratius Jaganyi and Pro Chancellor Dr Vincent Gaitho in their speeches unanimously echoed the need to emphasize the importance of sports in keeping the students busy, developing their talents as the future sports personnel.