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Kenya’s best shine in National Swimming Championships

Kenya’s best shine in National Swimming Championships
Kenya international Sarah Mose broke her Personal Best and meet record. PHOTO/Sport Picha

Kenya Aquatics successfully wrapped up its three-day Long Course National Swimming Championship on Sunday at the Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani.

The high-stakes gala drew 445 swimmers from 69 teams across six African nations.

Uganda’s Gators Swim Club emerged as overall champions, clinching 28 gold, 27 silver, and 19 bronze medals to top the medal table.

Kenya’s Braeburn Swimming Club placed second with 26 golds, 21 silvers and 14 bronzes, while Torpedo Swim Club from Uasin Gishu County followed with 13 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze medals.

The competition saw athletes from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Madagascar battle it out across various age categories, from as young as 10 years, over the three-day event held at the world-class Kasarani Aquatic Stadium.

The meet also featured record-breaking swims and acts of raw talent and determination.

A standout performance came from 13-year-old Nadia Vusha of Torpedo Swim Club, who smashed the meet record in the 50m backstroke with a time of 37.00 seconds, eclipsing the previous record of 37.19.

“I’ve waited three years for this moment. My dream is to represent Team Kenya at the Olympics,” she said.

In the men’s 1500m freestyle, Bandari’s Nygel Jayden set a new meet record of 22:27, lowering the previous mark by more than a minute.

The Championship doubled as a qualification platform for the World Aquatics Championships (Singapore, July 25-August 4, 2025) and Junior Worlds (Romania, August), with select top swimmers set to fly the Kenyan flag.

Notable names in attendance included Kenya internationals Sarah Mose, Saleh Twalip, Imaara Thorbe, Stephen Ndegwa, and Haniel Kudwoli, all of whom have represented the country in events like the Africa Games, World Championships, and Olympic qualifiers.

FitHub’s Sarah Mose, 20, Kenya’s second-fastest in the 50m freestyle, said she had returned from training in Poland two weeks earlier to acclimatise ahead of the competition.

“The heat was tough, but I’m glad I got to race strong opponents,” she said.

Uganda’s Sailfish star, Joshua Kaganda, 18, credited the tough field for pushing him to victory in his category, noting it was good preparation ahead of Uganda’s upcoming national trials.

“The quality here was world-class,” said his coach, Muwanguzi Muzafaru of Gators Swim Club, lauding the Kenyan organisers for their hospitality and infrastructure.

Eleven-year-old Zoya Nurani of Montessori Learning Centre said she trained rigorously for the gala.

“With a good time, I could qualify to represent Kenya at the World Championships this year or in the future,” she beamed.

Kenya Aquatics President Dr Maureen Awiti officially opened the gala, praising the turnout and welcoming teams from across the continent.

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