-Kenya’s ‘Winners of Winners’ will battle for the crown as South Africa Sends 16-Man Army to Mombasa led by Lekoa President Lietsisio Mohaploa.
-Nyali Golf Club Chairman Michael Sangoro Says members buzzing with excitement are ready to host Africa’s finest and the course is in championship condition.
– ICEA LION Group CEO Philip Lopokoiyit said that, “as the series marks ten years of excellence, this milestone is an opportunity to honor our shared legacy, celebrate lasting partnerships, and crown our 2026 champions.”
MAARUFU MOHAMED-GOLFNEWSLINKS.
The fairways of Nyali Golf & Country Club are manicured to perfection, the flagsticks are standing tall, and the Indian Ocean breeze is ready to test the best.
The stage is set for the biggest party in Kenyan amateur golf, the landmark 10th edition of the ICEA LION King of the Course Grand Finale, scheduled for this *Saturday, 31st, October 2026, at the par-71 course in Mombasa County.
It is not just a tournament, it is a celebration of a decade of sporting excellence, strategic partnerships, community building and the rise of Kenyan amateur golf from local handicaps to continental dominance and this year, Nyali is promising fireworks.
For Nyali Golf & Country Club, hosting the 10th anniversary is a badge of honor, as the club, one of the oldest and most scenic in Africa with its iconic ocean views, monkeys on the fairways and coastal winds, has been preparing for weeks.
Club Chairman Michael Sangoro said his members are buzzing with excitement and the course is in championship condition.
“Hosting the 10th edition of the ICEA LION King of the Course Grand Finale here at Nyali is a huge honor for us as a club. Our members are extremely excited, the anticipation is palpable,” said Chairman Sangoro.
“We have worked day and night to ensure the course is in pristine condition. Our greens team has cut the greens to tournament speed, the fairways are lush, and the rough is ready to punish any wayward shots. Nyali is famous for its ocean breeze – that will be the ultimate test on Saturday. We want the best player to win.”
Sangoro added, “Nyali is not just a golf club, it is a family. We have welcomed guests from across Kenya and now from South Africa. Our members are ready to show them true Mombasa hospitality – tough competition on the course, warm friendship at the 19th hole. This is what ICEA LION has built for ten years, better together.”
The Chairman confirmed that the club has lined up coastal entertainment, Swahili cuisine and a sunset gala dinner to crown the 2026 King of the Course.
ICEA LION Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Philip Lopokoiyit said, “As the series marks ten years of excellence, this milestone is an opportunity to honor our shared legacy, celebrate lasting partnerships, and crown our 2026 champions. For ICEA LION, this tournament transcends competition. It embodies our brand promise of being ‘Better Together’ by creating enduring connections with our clients, partners, and the wider sporting fraternity.”
What is at state on Saturday is that, top qualifiers from over 21 legs played across Kenya throughout the year will converge at Nyali for 18 holes of championship golf, alongside Corporate CEOs, insurance leaders, and distinguished guests will also battle.
But among the players, Brendan Mudanya winner of the Machakos tournament of Windsor Golf, Australia is not able to attend due to work commitments.
The winner will not just take a trophy, but will be crowned the ‘2026 King of the Course’, joining a hall of fame that includes Julius Kioko (2025) and other greats who have gone on to represent Kenya internationally.
The finale will culminate in an evening gala dinner and prize-giving ceremony, where ICEA LION will celebrate its clients, partners, and a decade of backing golf.
To cement those continental ties, ICEA LION is flying in a 16-member delegation from South Africa’s Lekoa Classic Golf Series, led by Lekoa President Lietsisio Mohaploa, to play the Grand Finale.
It will be Kenya vs South Africa, on Kenyan turf, in front of a Mombasa gallery, where rivalry, friendship, and bragging rights will be on the line.
The momentum heading into Nyali could not be hotter, and Just weeks ago, Kenya sent a 24-member contingent from Machakos Golf Club, led by Captain Paul Kyengo, to battle the best in Southern Africa at the 2026 Lekoa Classic in South Africa.
In brutal, rain-soaked conditions against elite players from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, the Kenyans did not just compete, they conquered, with Kenya sweeping five of the tournament’s top ten positions.
Leading the charge was Machakos Golf Club’s Chairman and immediate former Captain Edwin Saluny, playing off handicap 14, who clinched the overall Lekoa championship with a massive two-day haul of 81 points (41 and 40), a masterclass in consistency in the mud.
Right behind him, reigning 2025 ICEA LION King of the Course “Winner of Winners,” Julius Kioko, proved his crown was no fluke, finishing 7th overall with steady 34-point rounds on both days despite the downpour.
That performance is no accident, it is the product of 10 years of the ICEA LION tournament circuit, which has become the toughest, most consistent breeding ground for elite amateurs in East Africa.
ICEAN LION has now gone international as it played in Kili -Arusha, Tanzania in June and are looking forward to expanding into Dar-es-Salaam and Uganda in 2027.
ICEA LION Group is one of East Africa’s leading financial services providers, offering Insurance, Pensions, Investments, and Trusts in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania through its four companies.
With 21 branches across Kenya and operations in Tanzania and Uganda, the Group’s financial muscle is AAA-rated.
In June 2025, GCR Ratings reaffirmed the AAA(KE) national scale financial strength rating with a stable outlook, for both ICEA LION Life Assurance and ICEA LION General Insurance, a testament to resilience and exceptional capitalization.
From Nairobi to Mombasa, from Machakos to Lekoa in South Africa, ICEA LION has proved that when you invest in sport, you build champions, as for ten years, that strength has powered golf, and now, all roads lead to Nyali, the King will be crowned and the decade will be celebrated.
ENDS.
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