LAMU, KENYA — AUGUST 2026. More than 2,000 people packed the grounds in Lamu last weekend for what organizers are calling a landmark moment for grassroots sports in the county. Eighteen teams from across the region turned up, turning the Waridi Women Tournament into a three-day showcase of women’s and youth talent rarely seen on the coast.
The tournament was convened by Jenniffer Wairimu, Lamu Woman Representative Aspirant for 2027, President of the Kenya Youth Organization and Founder of the Waridi Foundation. It featured women’s football, volleyball, netball and handball, alongside girls’ and boys’ basketball, creating a platform where young athletes could compete, be seen, and connect beyond their communities.
On the pitch, the competition was fierce. In women’s football, Lake Amu lifted the trophy, with Sinambio finishing second, Uzida third and Shekale fourth. Tigres dominated women’s volleyball ahead of Umoja and Kihongwe. Mpeketoni Ladies were crowned netball champions, followed by Mpeketoni Pride and Minivalley Ladies. Vikings took the handball title with Umoja as runners-up. In basketball, Mpekx Angels won the girls’ category ahead of Sniper Tiger, while Mpex Heats edged Seahawks to win the boys’ competition.
But for Wairimu and many in the crowd, the results were only part of the story.
Speaking to players and fans, she laid out a vision to move sport in Lamu from weekend entertainment to a real economic pathway. If elected Woman Representative in 2027, she said, her office would push for a dedicated county sports fund, provide buses and minibuses to help teams travel to competitions and national trials, and back regular tournaments that keep players active year-round. She also pledged direct support to promising clubs and a structured scouting program to identify Lamu’s best talent and link them to opportunities outside the county.
“Today I can give KSh 5,000 because I am not in power,” Wairimu told the crowd. “When elected, we shall give more and do more. We shall have a sports fund, transport for our teams, regular tournaments, stronger clubs and scouting of our best players. I want talent in Lamu to become a livelihood. Talanta ni hela.”
She argued that lack of transport, money and exposure should not be the reason a talented young person misses a trial or a professional chance.
The Waridi Women Tournament was the first of its kind under Wairimu’s leadership, but it builds on years of work through the Waridi Foundation. The foundation already runs the annual Lamu 7s and has staged talent shows and youth forums aimed at giving young people in Lamu and across the Coast a stage to be noticed.
Beyond the games, the event was also used to promote peace and unity, bringing together teams from different parts of the county. Organizers encouraged spectators and players to register as voters and to take part in decisions that affect their communities.
For Wairimu, the turnout proved a point. The talent is already here. The interest is already here. What is missing, she said, are the structures to sustain it.
“The future of our youth cannot be built on promises alone,” she said. “It requires platforms, investment, exposure and opportunity.”
From the village pitch to national trials. From community clubs to professional contracts. From raw talent to a paycheck.
That, in three lines, is the message behind the tournament and behind the slogan that echoed across the grounds all weekend: “TALANTA NI HELA.”
