Koyonzo, Kwanthanze clinch top honors in prestigious SOYA Schools Awards Category

Koyonzo Boys High School and Kwanthanze Secondary School are the 2023 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) School boys’ and girls’ team of the year following an awarding gala held on Friday night at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

The school’s category returned to the awards having last featured in the 2019 edition due to the COVID-19 outbreak that suspended sporting activities in the academic calendar.

The Kakamega-based school overpowered competition from East African boys' volleyball title holders Namwela from Bungoma County and national football champions St Anthony’s Boys to the prestigious award.

Koyonzo had a memorable year sweeping all the titles from the subcounty to the East Africa level. They retained their national title and improved on their 2022 second-place finish in Arusha, Tanzania to bag their first-ever East Africa crown.

Namwela under the tutelage of Isaac Muresia was named the first runners-up after their exploits in the volleyball scenes saw them bag gold at the East Africa level for their first time asking while St. Anthony’s were the second runners in a year that saw them reclaim the national trophy they had won in 2019 but relinquished when they lost to Kabarnet High School in the final of the 2022 Rift Valley region games

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In the girl’s category, Kwanthanze had a very successful year despite suffering a shock defeat to Kesogon to relinquish their national crown. They put up a spirited fight to avenge their national loss to Kesogon to retain their title and secure their seventh regional gong.

It was a memorable year for the regional giants who had earlier on beaten Morocco’s Lycee Bin Anzarane to be crowned Africa champions.

Known for churning out talent and feeding the national team Malkia Strikers and the top clubs in the country, Kwanthanze’s exploits earned them a place in history as one of the most successful schools in the sport.

Kwanzanthe’s Terry Tata brilliance saw her bag the East Africa and Kenya Volleyball Federation women’s league Most Valuable Player accolades.

For ending a 32-year national trophy drought and the fairytale run dominating from the sub-county level to recapturing the hockey titles that the Kenyan girls had lost to Uganda’s Kakungulu Memorial in 2019 at the regional level, Nyamira Girls were named the first runners-up in the awards that attracted over six sponsors.

Butere Girls High School finished as the second runners-up in the category in a year that saw them bag the football national title dethroning defending champions Wiyeta Girls and also bagged the basketball 5x5 after outshining holders Kaya Tiwi.

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In the coach of the year category, Namwela Secondary School coach Isaac Muresia beat competition from Solidarity Boys Peter Mayoyo, Kwanthanze volleyball coach Justine Kigwari, Nyamira’s Stephen Kigai, and Koyonzo’s Eliud Okwemba to win the accolade.

Interestingly, Muresia is not a trained teacher at the school but doubles up as the school driver and coach and is credited for the success of the school having assembled it from scratches.