Kenya’s First National Chess Olympiad Sparks Grassroots Boom in Public Schools

Kenya held its inaugural National Chess Olympiad in Nakuru on May 11, 2025, drawing 1,842 players from all 47 counties—including 63% under age 16. Organized by the Kenya Chess Federation and Ministry of Education, the event crowned Nairobi’s Starehe Boys as team champions and 13-year-old Fatuma Ali (Mombasa) as top female player. The Olympiad was integrated into the *Competency-Based Curriculum* rollout, with chess now a credited co-curricular activity. It’s not just strategy—it’s math, patience, and mental resilience, said Chief Guest Prof. George Magoha (posthumously honored). Safaricom’s *Chess4Change* program donated 5,000 boards to rural schools. FIDE awarded Kenya Associate Membership status, opening pathways to continental team events. Notably, Kakamega County saw a 40% drop in juvenile delinquency cases in schools running weekly chess clubs.