Officials from the Narok County Secondary School Games have raised alarm over the increasing trend of schools fielding ineligible players, warning that the practice threatens the integrity and purpose of school competitions. 

They emphasised the importance of maintaining honesty and fairness in school athletics to ensure that deserving students are not unfairly excluded due to unethical behaviour. 

According to the officials, there is growing concern over some schools seeking an unfair advantage by recruiting players from outside their institutions, a practice locally referred to as “mamluki.” 

They argue that this undermines the true spirit of the games and robs genuine students of opportunities to grow and showcase their talents. 

Chairman of the Narok County Secondary School Sports Association Peter Maritim stressed that school competitions are meant to provide young learners with a platform to develop their athletic careers, not simply to win trophies. 

“The purpose of these games is to encourage and empower students. Seeing certain schools prioritise winning at all costs, including fielding non-students, is discouraging. This is unacceptable because it denies real learners the chance to grow,” said Maritim. 

He further urged teachers and coaches to uphold integrity and focus on mentorship rather than shortcuts, cautioning that the abuse of school sports programs demoralises students and wastes public resources. 

Other key officials present included KUPPET Treasurer Seela Kuluo, Games Secretary Jacob Barusei, Treasurer Tito Musyoki, Vice Chairman Parmale Kuluo and Narok KUPPET Executive Secretary Charles Ngeno. 

Barusei echoed Maritim’s remarks, stating that the issue goes beyond breaking rules, “it’s about justice and fairness for students who dedicate their time and effort to school teams”. 

“Consider a student who has trained for months, only to be benched because someone else has taken their place. That is emotionally damaging and unethical,” Barusei noted. 

He also encouraged students to play an active role in protecting the integrity of the competitions by reporting suspicious individuals posing as learners. 

According to the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) regulations, only enrolled students aged 20 or below are eligible to participate in school games. 

In response to increasing scrutiny, officials are now calling for stricter disciplinary actions and tighter document verification processes to ensure fair play and equal opportunities for all students.