With seven days into the New Year, 2024 promises a buzz of activities in the local sporting field, ranging from preparation for All Africa Games, the Paris Olympic Games, WRC Safari Rally, Kenya Open Golf, Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) that is likely to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and elections to pick new officials at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

Here is a look at some of the key local sporting events in 2024.

Women Kenya Open Golf

Meanwhile, the Ladies European Tour (LET) is set for another historic year in 2024 with 31 events spread across 20 countries worldwide. The prestigious series will for the umpteenth kick off with the Magical Kenya Ladies Open on February 8 to 11 at Vipingo Ridge PGA Baobab course, before traveling to Saudi Arabia and then visiting Morocco for the Lalla Meryem Cup.

Among leading LET star players expected to grace the season opener in North Coast Kenya include Indian star Aditi Ashok, who won the event in Kenya last year. Also expected to grace the Kenyan leg is two-time winner Esther Henseleit of Germany.

Kenya Open Golf

The Magical Kenya Open provides another great opportunity for Kenyans to enjoy a round of golf with four days of action. The tournament will start on Thursday, February 22, and conclude on Sunday, February 25 at Muthaiga Golf Club.

The Magical Kenya Open is part of the European Tour in the season 2024. Magical Kenya Open, which started in 1967, is traditionally in the first or second week of March.

It has been an event on the European-based Challenge Tour schedule since 1991 and it was added to the European Tour starting in 2019. The Kenya Open title has been won by players such as Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Ken Brown, Christy O’Connor Jr, and Trevor Immelman. The most successful player is England’s Maurice Bembridge, who recorded three victories between 1968 and 1979.

World Safari Rally

Another great news for rally enthusiasts is the confirmation of the Safari Rally as the third round of the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) and being reverted to its original traditional Easter holiday weekend date for the first time in 27 years.

The Safari Rally will now be held between March 28 to 31 in Nairobi and Naivasha as per the calendar released by the Federation Internationale de I’ Automobile (FIA) World Motorsports Council. This marked a departure from the past three editions, all held in June, and presents a tougher challenge to drivers as it coincides with the rainy season.

 WRC Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi was happy with the news the rally will now take place during the Easter Holidays.

“This is very good Mashujaa Day announcement news and a celebration for all Kenyans as we retrace the Safari Rally journey of 70 years ago when millions of Kenyans looked forward to the Easter weekend every year to enjoy the thrills of the Safari Rally,” said Kimathi in a previous interview.

Kip Keino Classic

The Kip Keino Classic will be staged on April 20 at Moi Kasarani in Nairobi as part of the  World Athletics Continental Tour. Usually, the event is held in May but the changes were necessary owing to the 2024 Diamond League Calendar that will start on April 20 in Xiamen.

The Kip Keino Classic will hold particular significance as athletes gear up for the Paris Olympics in August and it promises to be a key event in their preparation, featuring world-class competition.

In the 2023 Continental Tour, the Kip Keino Classic witnessed remarkable performances, contributing to a season that saw 15,552 athletes from 173 countries, setting records and achieving personal bests.

NOCK Elections

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya usually holds its polls after every four years and are expected to elect new officials before the end of this year according to their constitution. The organization’s president Paul Tergat will be completing his second term, hence a guarantee of a new leadership at the helm of the local Olympic body.

CHAN

Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) is a continental tournament organised by the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) which brings together only players playing in Africa to battle it out for top honours through the qualified nations.

After CAF failed to receive any bid for the competition, they awarded it to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in December, to act as a yard stick in preparations for the joint 2027 Pamoja Africa Cup of Nations event.

FKF Elections

Delegates will get another chance to pick new leadership for the number one sport in the country when the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) goes to polls probably in October.

FKF already held a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Saturday where they announced plans for the elections.

While the date for the exercise still unclear, several officials have already confirmed their interest to contest for the top seat. They include Hussein Mohammed, Sam Nyamweya, Sam Ocholla, Omondi Aduda, Sammy ‘Kempes’ Owino, and Nicholas Musonye.