More than 100 golfers converged at Mombasa Golf Club on Saturday for the second edition of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Mombasa Chapter Golf Tournament.
Constance Achilla emerged as the Overall Winner after returning an impressive 44 Stableford points off handicap 30, while Ian Kithumbi claimed the Overall Men’s title with 43 points playing off handicap 28.
Mary Mariga matched Kithumbi’s score of 43 points to take home the Overall Lady Winner’s prize off handicap 13, while Bernard Simiyu finished as the Men’s Runner-up with 42 points.
Orpha Wamaitha was named the Lady Runner-up after carding 38 points.
The day also recognized excellence across various categories, with Willy Sang winning the Longest Drive (Men), Virginia Flora claiming the Longest Drive (Ladies), and Bernard Simiyu adding the Nearest-to-the-Pin award after finishing just 18.9 feet from the flag.
Among the age categories, Collin Muriuki was crowned Junior Winner with 40 points, while Elijah Ibua claimed the Senior Winner title after posting 39 points.
Wanjiku Wambugu won the KNCCI Members category with an excellent 40 points.
Speaking after receiving his award, Men’s winner Ian Kithumbi described the victory as the fulfilment of a promise he had made before the tournament.
“I promised our captain that in my first tournament after moving to handicap 28, I would make sure I won something, and by God’s grace it came to pass,” said Kithumbi.
The victory has inspired Kithumbi to set even bigger ambitions.
“My next target is to become a single handicap golfer. I know it will take time, but I’m working towards that goal,” he said.
Beyond the golf course, Kithumbi challenged KNCCI to continue using the tournament as a platform to nurture emerging entrepreneurs, particularly young business owners and small enterprises.
He noted that while large corporations remain key stakeholders, the chamber should also intentionally involve grassroots businesses, including entrepreneurs operating cottage industries across Mombasa.
“They also need to understand how business networking works and benefit from opportunities created through events like this,” he said.
KNCCI Mombasa Chapter Chairman Abud Jamal said the tournament continues to grow after a successful inaugural edition last year.
“This being our second edition, we continue learning and improving from the first tournament. We’ve received many valuable suggestions and, going forward, we’ll implement them as we seek to attract even more golfers and corporate partners,” he said.
Jamal thanked Mombasa Golf Club for hosting the championship and expressed optimism about building a long-term partnership with the club.
“We are looking forward to formalising a lasting partnership that creates a win-win relationship. We definitely want this tournament to continue growing year after year.”
Mombasa Golf Club Captain Feisal Lasker said the event had successfully brought together golfers and the business community, creating an environment where professional relationships could flourish.
“The convergence between Mombasa Golf Club members and KNCCI members is all about networking. A lot of business discussions took place on the course, people created new acquaintances, and those relationships will eventually translate into business opportunities,” he said.
Lasker said the club was keen to work closely with KNCCI to make the tournament even bigger by attracting more sponsors and introducing programmes that encourage greater youth participation through golf.
“We want to partner with KNCCI in bringing more young people into the sport because golf can also be a platform for business and career development. The benefits will extend beyond the golf course to Mombasa and the Coast region as a whole.”
He also proposed measuring the amount of business generated through the tournament in future editions as an indicator of its economic impact.
“I believe we should start measuring the level of business transactions concluded because of the KNCCI Golf Tournament. That will demonstrate the real value this event creates.”
