The rugby team from Bungoma High School has been banned from participating in this year’s national secondary school championships after its appeal against disqualification was dismissed.
The ruling, delivered by the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association, effectively ends the team’s campaign in the Term One games, dealing a major setback to one of Western Kenya’s most prominent rugby sides.
Eligibility dispute
At the heart of the controversy is an eligibility audit that reportedly flagged several players in the Bungoma High squad. Questions were raised over player documentation and transfer procedures, prompting officials to disqualify the team from the competition.
School authorities, however, maintained that the team complied with all regulations. They argued that players previously flagged did not feature in the decisive matches and that the squad earned its qualification legitimately.
Appeal dismissed
Despite Bungoma High’s defense, KSSSA upheld the initial decision, dismissing the school’s appeal and confirming the ban.
In response, the school expressed dissatisfaction with the process, citing a lack of transparency and alleging that new concerns were introduced late in the verification stage.
Following the disqualification, another school from the Western region has been drafted in to replace Bungoma High at the national games.
The decision has sparked debate among stakeholders in school sports, with concerns emerging over the consistency and fairness of eligibility enforcement.
Bungoma High has indicated it may explore further avenues to challenge the decision, even as its players miss out on one of the most significant fixtures in the school sports calendar.
