The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
🟩 Final Points Tally 2025 Victoria Cup ⛳🏌️♂️🏆
Uganda🇺🇬 1⃣4⃣.5
Kenya 🇰🇪 1⃣1⃣.5
Saturday
🏌️♂️Singles – 🇺🇬 4⃣ 🇰🇪 6⃣
Friday
🏌️♂️Foursomes – Ug🇺🇬 4⃣ Ken 🇰🇪 0⃣
🏌️♂️Four-ball – Ug🇺🇬 2⃣ Ken 🇰🇪 2⃣
Thursday
🏌️♂️Foursomes – Ug🇺🇬 1⃣ Ken 🇰🇪 3⃣
🏌️♂️Four-ball – Ug🇺🇬 3⃣.5 Ken 🇰🇪 0⃣.5
IPL GOLF DIARY | LOUIS JADWONG, AFRIYEA MEDIA & UGU MEDIA | “It’s home,” were the first words from Uganda’s team coach, UPDF Sergeant Flavia Namakula after pulling off an unlikely win in a nail-biting finish to the Victoria Cup in Naivasha Saturday afternoon.
The tone of coach Namakula’s first words indicate there was a massive underground “Bring the Victoria Cup back home” plan, that’s finally bore fruit.
Saturday’s battle against a Kenyan onslaught, and an eventual come-from-behind victory after Thursdays’ 3-1 opening round defeat, proved one key thing. It showed Namakula, team manager Paul Habyarimana and their team of elite amateur players as well as top juniors from across the country, believed more than very many, that the strategy adopted, would work.
“It’s home,” she said with relief.
“It feels great. I’m very proud of the boys. Their commitment, resilience, and unwavering belief in each other were incredible, and that’s how we managed to bring this victory.”
Namakula also revealed that, “Getting here early helped us as well. The weather was not good. It’s a very cold place and it rains almost every day. But we managed to pull it off.”
She described the performance as “incredible.”
“It was not about individual shots, it was a collective effort, the support they gave each other was amazing…the way they pushed through. We deserved the win.”
Uganda is the 2025 Victoria Cup champions! 🏆🇺🇬
After a thrilling final day at Mt. Kipipiri Golf & Resort, Uganda sealed victory with a total of 14.5 points, while Kenya finished with 11.5 points.
Well played to both teams for an exciting and competitive tournament! 🇰🇪🇺🇬 pic.twitter.com/zfsugJdYf5
— Kenya Golf Union (@KenyaGolfUnion) March 22, 2025
Ghosts of 2024 laid to rest
With last year’s epic collapse at UGC vivid in the memory, Team Uganda teed off at Mt Kipipiri Golf Resort knowing that there was no room for error. Despite a commanding five-point lead teeing off the final day in the singles, there was still a lot of work to do.
And when Kenya won four singles games in succession, it looked like a case of deja vu was in the offing. Wins for Beiju Shah over Abdallah Kakooza, Elvis Muigua over Anthony Otukei, John Lejirma over Ibrahim Ssemakula and Daniel Kiragu over Abdul Kakeeto had brought the hosts within sight of Uganda.
But Titus Okwong and John Musiimenta restored Uganda’s cushion after magnificent victories over
Tsevi Sono and Josephat Rono, and with Joseph Reagan Akena halving his showdown with Ebill Omollo, the writing was on the wall for Team Uganda’s victory. Uganda’s other singles game was a half between team captain Joseph Cwinya-ai and Kevin Anyien.
The loss of Peter Mayende and win of Elton Thembo didn’t matter; Uganda had reclaimed the Victoria Cup after a tense contest against the old enemy. It is only the second time Uganda has won the Victoria Cup in the nine-year history of the two-country competition.
“Feels nice winning once again and doing it away from home makes it even more exciting,” captain Joseph Cwinya-ai said as the team celebrated a great performance. This is the second time he and Uganda lifts the trophy.
“This win means a lot to Ugandan golfers out there, especially the younger generation. This time we fielded a younger team than our opponents. The future of Ugandan golf is in safe hands.”
There were jubilant scenes in the aftermath of Uganda’s victory at Mt Kipipiri that were a stark contrast to last year at UGC when the hosts snatched a stalemate from the jaws of victory having led Kenya for most of the day before the visitors mounted a late surge.
The tournament represents more than just a competition; it is a celebration of the shared golfing culture between the two nations. Over the years, it has not only enhanced the sport’s profile but also helped nurture and develop talent in the region.
The Victoria Cup triumph will no doubt bring a grin on former Uganda Golf Union (UGU) President Moses Matsiko and the incumbent Jackson Were, who have both been keen on championing junior development of golf. The team in Mt Kipipiri had three juniors – Mayende, Ssemakula and Otukei.
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VICTORIA CUP WINNERS
🟢 2016 – Kenya
🟢 2017 – Kenya
🟢 2018 – Kenya
🟢 2019 – Uganda
🟢 2020-2021 – Not held due to COVID-19
🟢 2022 – Kenya
🟢 2023 – Not held due to technicalities
🟢 2024 – Stalemate
🟢 2025 – Uganda
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How it was won
On March 22, 2025 in Naivasha, Kenya, Uganda’s national golf team etched a new chapter in East African sporting lore, toppling regional powerhouse Kenya to claim the Victoria Cup in a gripping showdown at the Mt. Kipipiri Golf Resort. In a tournament that reverberated beyond the fairways of this Rift Valley gem, Uganda secured a 14.5 to 11.5 victory, ending Kenya’s storied dominance in the biennial match-play event and signaling the rise of a new force in African golf.
For the seventh edition of this Ryder Cup-inspired clash, the world watched as Uganda’s blend of veteran savvy and youthful flair turned the tide in a rivalry that has enthralled the continent since 2016.
A Rivalry Steeped in History
Named after Lake Victoria, the vast freshwater expanse that unites Kenya and Uganda, the Victoria Cup is more than a golf tournament—it’s a celebration of regional pride and sporting heritage. Since its debut in 2016, Kenya had reigned supreme, lifting the trophy in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022, while Uganda’s sole triumph came in 2019 on home soil. The 2023 edition, delayed to early 2024, ended in a dramatic 11-11 draw, with Kenya retaining the title after weather curtailed play. This year, however, Uganda arrived in Naivasha with a singular goal: to wrest the cup from their rivals and prove their prowess on foreign ground.
Spanning three days from March 20-22, the competition unfolded across four-ball better-ball, foursomes, and singles matches. Set against the breathtaking vistas of Mt. Kipipiri — a par-72 course perched in Kenya’s high-altitude heartland, this year’s event offered a stern test of skill and strategy, captivating golf enthusiasts worldwide.
The Four-ball better-ball team golf format being used in the Victoria Cup, is traditionally used in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup. Players play in pre-determined pairs and each play their own golf ball. This is in direct contrast to the foursomes, whereby a pair of players play with just one golf ball.
The individual with the lowest score in each pair, on each hole, provides the team’s score for that particular hole, hence the name ‘better-ball’.
Day 1: Kenya Strikes First
The opening salvos on March 20 first indicated it would be business as usual for the Kenyans, but there were hints later that an upset could be in the making. Uganda’s afternoon four-ball session was a statement of intent, yielding 3.5 points to Kenya’s 0.5. Joseph Reagan Akena and John Musiimenta battled to a halve against Kenya’s captain John Lejirma and Daniel Kiragu, while Abdallah Kakooza and Titus Okwong toppled Josphat Rono and Raphael Leming’ani 3&1. Team captain Cwinya-ai, alongside Abdul Kakeeto, eked out a 2&1 win over Elvis Muigua and Kevin Anyien, and Elton Thembo and Ibrahim Ssemakula sealed a 3&2 victory against Soni Tsevi and Krish Shah.
Kenya had looked lethal in the foursomes opening round 3-1 win earlier in the day. Muigua and Shah bested Kakooza and Anthony Otukei 3&2, and Kiragu and Rono overwhelmed Kakeeto and Musiimenta 5&3. Uganda’s lone bright spot was Akena and Peter Mayende’s stunning 7&6 rout of Lejirma and Shah. By day’s end, Uganda held a slim 4.5 to 3.5 lead, setting the stage for a pulsating contest.
*****
🟩 SINGLES PLAYER World rankings (Last 104 weeks + singles wins and halves)
*⃣ BEIJU SHAH, Krish (1214th) vs KAKOOZA, Abdallah (3599th) ✅ 🇰🇪
*⃣ MUIGUA, Elvis (428th) vs OTUKEI, Anthony (4633rd) ✅ 🇰🇪
*⃣ LEJIRMA, John (124th) vs SSEMAKULA, Ibrahim (4292nd) ✅ 🇰🇪
*⃣ KIRAGU, Daniel (1078th) vs KAKAETO, Abdul (1829th) ✅ 🇰🇪
*⃣ OMOLLO, Ebill (637th) vs AKENA, Joseph Reagan (161st) 🇺🇬 🇰🇪 0⃣.5⃣
*⃣ SONI, Tsevi (604th) vs OKWONG, Titus (604th) ✅ 🇺🇬
*⃣ RONO, Josphat (324th) vs MUSIIMENTA, John (4821st) ✅ 🇺🇬
*⃣ ANYIEN, Kevin (1039th) vs CWINYA-AI, Joseph (251st) 🇺🇬 🇰🇪 0⃣.5⃣
*⃣ LEMING’ANI, Raphael (4062nd) vs MAYENDE, Peter (N/A) ✅ 🇰🇪
*⃣ BARNO, Elly (1022nd) vs THEMBO, Elton (1413th) ✅ 🇺🇬
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✳ FULL SCORES
*****
Day 2: Uganda bounces back strongly
Friday, March 21, proved the tipping point. Uganda’s morning foursomes session was a clinic, sweeping all four matches in a 4-0 shutout. Akena and Mayende dazzled again, while Cwinya-ai’s pairing dismantled Lejirma and Elly Barno 7&6. The afternoon four-ball matches saw parity restored, with both teams splitting 2-2, but Uganda’s earlier dominance propelled them to a 10.5 to 5.5 advantage. With just 2.5 points needed from the final day’s 10 singles matches, victory was within reach.
“We need four wins out of 10, and we’re home,” said Cwinya-ai, ranked 310th globally among amateurs, after Day 2. His confidence rested on rising stars like 19-year-old Akena, Uganda’s Amateur Open champion, and 15-year-old Mayende, whose poise defied his youth.”
Day 3: The Final Push
March 22’s singles matches electrified the Mt. Kipipiri galleries as Kenya rallied with home-crowd fervor. Yet Uganda stood firm. Akena’s precision delivered a pivotal point, while Cwinya-ai’s experience anchored the effort. Kenya’s Lejirma, Muigua, and Ebill Omollo fought fiercely, but Uganda’s depth bolstered by newcomers Mayende and Ssemakula proved decisive. Crossing the 12.5-point mark, Uganda sealed a 14.5 to 11.5 triumph, igniting celebrations among their traveling supporters.
— AFRIYEA Golf Academy AGA 🇺🇬🌍 (@AfriyeaGolf) March 22, 2025
Key Performances and Turning Point
Cwinya-ai’s captaincy was masterful, blending seasoned hands with rookies seamlessly. His team put up a fight of their lives, if you glance at the world rankings, with the only fair ranking match-up being between Kenya’s Tsevi Soni (ranked 604th) versus OKWONG, Titus (604th).
Akena emerged as the tournament’s breakout talent, his multi-format wins heralding a bright future. The Day 2 foursomes whitewash was the game-changer, exposing Kenya’s cracks and cementing Uganda’s lead. For Kenya, Lejirma’s grit kept hope alive, but early stumbles in the four-ball proved costly.
Coach Flavia Namakula, “The boys delivered; this is our moment,” she said. Arriving a week early to master Mt. Kipipiri’s altitude paid off, ending a six-year title drought and narrowing Kenya’s series lead to 5-2.
For Uganda, teens like Akena, Mayende, Ssemakula, and Otukei signaled a generational shift while in Kenya’s case, their team showed they cannot survive without the experience of Michael Karanga, Adel Balala and Dennis Maara.
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