The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
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 (Kenya retains title)
🟢 2025 – Uganda
🟢 2026 – ….
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & UGU MEDIA | Coach Lt Flavia Namakula is confident Uganda will retain the Victoria Cup on home soil in Entebbe this week, indicating that they will again focus on getting their pairings and partnerships right on the opening day.
“Getting the pairings right in the opening two days was the trick to our victory last year. We will focus on having a flying start,” Namakula said, after reassuring the press her team is ready, at a briefing at the National Council of Sports Headquarters at Lugogo on Monday morning.
The team will miss the magic of last year’s captain Joseph Cwinya-ai but they sounded reassured because they have the bulk of the team that won last year, including youngsters Joseph Reagan Akena, Peter Mayende and John Musiimenta. Musiimenta has even been handed the captaincy.
National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel flagged off Uganda’s team and challenged the Uganda Golf Union to spread the game and competitions across the country. He said the government is deliberating building multi-purpose venues and stadiums across the country and will support golfers’ plans to spread facilities across the country.
Uganda Golf Union president Dr Jackson Were said other than focusing on grooming youth, more competitions will be spread across the country, citing last year’s Uganda Open that was played in Lugazi.
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.
The Victoria Cup 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 Uganda Golf Union has secured support from several partners, including NCBA Bank, MTN MoMo Uganda, Prudential Uganda, Crown Beverages Limited — makers of Aquafina — the National Council of Sports, and The R&A, the world governing body for golf.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Golf Union has unveiled a team of 10 amateur golfers to represent Kenya at the 2026 Victoria Cup.
The four junior players selected through the JGF Order of Merit, together with the wildcard pick, are all members of the High Performance Program – an initiative supported by The R&A, designed to identify, nurture and prepare Kenya’s most promising golfers for elite regional and international competition.
Uganda’s Team:
- Joseph Reagan Akena (Lugazi Hills and Country Club)
- Joseph Kasozi (Uganda Golf Club)
- Godfrey Kambale (Entebbe Club)
- Andrew Ssekibejja (Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa)
- Elton Thembo (Entebbe Club)
- John Musimenta (Uganda Golf Club)
- Abdul Kakeeto (Tooro Club)
- Peter Mayende (Lugazi Hills and Country Club)
- Amon Bwambale (Uganda Golf Club)
- Abdul Kakooza (MaryLouise Simkins Memorial Club Namulonge)
Team Kenya
- John Lejirma
- Elvis Muigua
- Isaac Makokha
- Daniel Kiragu
- Ebill Omollo
Juniors
- Junaid Manji
- Tsevi Soni
- Yuvraj Rajput
- Mwathi Gicheru
- Kevin Anyien (Wildcard)
****
🟩 FLASHBACK: How it was won last year ⛳🏌️♂️🏆
Final Points Tally
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
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 signalling 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
Since its debut in 2016, Kenya had reigned supreme, lifting the trophy in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022, while Uganda’s first triumph came in 2019 on home soil, followed by the 2025 success abroad. The 2023 edition, delayed to early 2024, ended in a dramatic 11-11 draw, with Kenya retaining the title after weather curtailed play. Uganda arrived in Naivasha last year 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 plays 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.
*****
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.
