NAIROBI, Kenya, July 12, 2026 – Chris Huka was crowned overall winner of the ninth leg of The Road to Somabay qualifier series at the Karen Country Club on Saturday as a highly competitive field of amateur golfers battled for coveted places at the prestigious Somabay World Grand Finale in Egypt.
Huka claimed the Overall Winner’s title with an outstanding 40 Stableford points, two ahead of second-placed Nkatha Nkiiri.
While Huka’s gross score of 89 suggested a challenging round, it was in fact a masterclass in Stableford golf.
He demonstrated remarkable resilience by recovering brilliantly from setbacks, finishing with two birdies, four pars and a series of valuable scoring holes that more than compensated for seven double bogeys or worse.
His inward nine of 44 included crucial birdies that maintained his momentum and ultimately secured victory.
It was a performance defined not by perfection, but by consistency, recovery and an ability to maximise scoring opportunities when they mattered most.
On her part, although her card included several costly holes, she limited the damage where it mattered, remaining firmly in contention from start to finish and earning her place among Kenya’s representatives at the Somabay World Grand Finale.
Slim margins to the end
Division A produced arguably the tournament’s most dramatic contest, with David Murima, Hardeep Rehsi and Zacharia Koech all finishing tied on 37 Stableford points.
The title was ultimately decided on countback, with Murima emerging victorious after producing the strongest inward nine.
His superb gross score of 76 was among the best rounds of the tournament and featured three birdies, nine pars and only one double bogey.
After an outward nine of 39, Murima elevated his performance with a flawless inward 37 highlighted by birdies and a string of confident pars that proved decisive in the countback calculation.
Runner-up Hardeep Rehsi also returned 37 Stableford points after an excellent gross score of 80.
His round featured three birdies, nine pars, five bogeys and only one double bogey, demonstrating exceptional consistency throughout the day.
Moreover, his inward 39 kept him firmly in contention until the final calculations, with only countback denying him the Division A title.
Third-placed Zacharia Koech matched the leaders on 37 Stableford points, producing perhaps the most exciting opening nine of the tournament.
His brilliant outward score of 35, highlighted by consecutive birdies, placed him at the summit of the leaderboard for much of the day before a tougher inward nine saw him narrowly miss out on qualification after countback.
Joe Sang and Moses Cheboi followed closely behind on 36 Stableford points, underlining the remarkable strength and competitiveness of Division A.
Division B was equally compelling.
Chris Huka’s winning total of 40 Stableford points stood above the field, while Rose Mwarania, competing as a sponsor guest, produced one of the day’s most courageous performances to finish on 38 Stableford points.
Her outstanding round earned her a special invitation to the Somabay World Grand Finale as the tournament’s Best Performing Guest.
Nelson Ndegwa and Violet Luchendo both finished on 37 Stableford points, with countback determining the Division B honours.
Speaking after the tournament, tournament director, Collins Were, said the Karen qualifier has set a new benchmark for the competition.
“Karen Country Club delivered one of the most competitive qualifiers of the series so far. The significance of countback in determining several podium positions demonstrates just how closely matched the competitors were, with every stroke proving decisive. That is exactly what the Road to Somabay is designed to achieve- creating a fair, competitive and internationally recognised pathway that rewards excellence. We congratulate our latest qualifiers and thank CIB Bank, Karen Country Club and every player who continues to make this series one of the premier amateur golf circuits in Africa,” Were said.
At the same time, Commercial International Bank (CIB Bank), Chief Executive Officer Titus Mwithiga reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for amateur golfers.
“At CIB Bank, we believe in investing in platforms that inspire excellence, create opportunities and empower individuals to achieve their full potential. Our partnership with the Road to Somabay Series reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of golf while providing talented Kenyan amateur golfers with a unique opportunity to compete on the international stage,” he said.
Mwithiga added: “The standard of play witnessed at Karen Country Club was exceptional, and we congratulate all the competitors, particularly those who have earned the honour of representing Kenya at the Somabay World Grand Finale in Egypt. We look forward to continuing this journey as the series moves across the country.”
Huka, Murima, Rehsi,Nkiiri — as well as Mwarania — will now shift their attentions to Somabay World Grand Finale for a chance to represent the country at the Somabay World Cup on October 12-17 at the Cascades Golf Resort Spa and Thalasso in Somabay, Egypt on the Red Sea coast.
The competition will pit amateur golfers from 25 countries around the world including France, Belgium, Spain as well as Kenya, among others.
The qualification series in Kenya has been presented by Michezonet in partnership with CIB Bank.
With another memorable qualifier successfully concluded, the series now heads to Eldoret Golf Club on July 23.
