The 23rd Federation of East African Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games concluded in Morogoro, Tanzania, with Kenya emerging as the overall champions after an action-packed championship that brought together thousands of young athletes from across East Africa.
Held from 12 to 22 August 2026, the Games provided a major platform for school athletes from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi to compete across a wide range of sporting disciplines, further strengthening the role of school sport in talent identification and development across the region.
Kenya finished top of the overall medal standings with 32 gold, 34 silver and 24 bronze medals. Uganda finished second with 20 gold, 22 silver and 23 bronze medals, while hosts Tanzania placed third with 16 gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze medals.
Rwanda finished fourth with four gold, one silver and seven bronze medals, while Burundi did not register a medal.
The final medal standings reflected the increasingly competitive nature of the FEASSA Games, with member associations producing strong performances across team sports, individual disciplines and emerging sports.
At secondary school level, Kenya led the standings with 20 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze medals. Uganda followed with 18 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze medals, while Tanzania collected four gold, four silver and nine bronze medals. Rwanda recorded one gold, one silver and five bronze medals.
Uganda’s strong secondary-school performance was built on success across football, basketball, netball, volleyball, handball, badminton, swimming, table tennis, lawn tennis, Scrabble, beach soccer and beach volleyball.
St. Mary’s Kitende and Rines Secondary School won the boys’ and girls’ football titles respectively, while Kitende also claimed girls’ basketball 5×5 and netball. Seroma Christian High School won girls’ basketball 3×3, Panyadoli took the girls’ softball title, Namugongo Vocational School won boys’ volleyball and Gombe Secondary School claimed girls’ handball.
Individual and racket sports also produced strong performances, with Team Uganda winning both boys’ and girls’ badminton and swimming titles, while Kibuli Secondary School won both boys’ and girls’ table tennis as well as boys’ lawn tennis.
At primary school level, Kenya topped the standings with six gold, six silver and four bronze medals. Rwanda and Tanzania followed, while Uganda finished fourth with two gold and six bronze medals.
In the Special Needs Education (SNE) category, Tanzania led the medal standings with 10 gold, three silver and seven bronze medals. Kenya followed with six gold, 13 silver and eight bronze medals, while Uganda secured one bronze medal.
Beyond the medal table, the 2026 FEASSA Games showcased the depth of talent across the region, with athletes recognised as Most Valuable Players in 43 secondary-school sporting categories.
Kenya produced the highest number of MVPs with 21 awards, followed by Uganda with 18. Tanzania had three MVPs, while Rwanda produced one.
Among the outstanding MVP performances were Kyakuwa Ashraf of St. Mary’s School Kitende, Uganda, who was named boys’ football MVP, and Aryango Justine of Rines Secondary School, Uganda, who received the girls’ football MVP award.
Other MVPs came from all four leading sporting nations, underlining the competitive balance and quality of school sport across East Africa.
The Games also marked important milestones in the development of several disciplines. Cricket and lacrosse featured prominently, while the introduction and continued growth of emerging sports provided athletes with more opportunities to compete and develop their talents.
The championship further demonstrated the value of regional school sport in creating pathways for young athletes from school competitions to national, regional and international levels.
The 2026 edition also strengthened FEASSA’s position as a platform for bringing together member associations, schools, athletes, coaches and officials from across East Africa.
With competition becoming increasingly intense across the different disciplines, the Morogoro Games provided a clear indication of the growing depth of school sporting talent in the region.
The 23rd FEASSA Games were hosted by Tanzania, with Morogoro providing the venues for a championship that combined sporting competition, cultural exchange and regional cooperation.
Rwanda will host the next edition of the FEASSA Games in 2027, taking forward a championship that continues to grow in scale, competitiveness and impact across East Africa.
