By Gerald Mukembu
Meru youths have a golden opportunity to win a share of the Sh25 million prize money in the upcoming Meru Governor’s Cup 2025/26, which is scheduled to kick off in two weeks.
The announcement was made by Meru County Executive Committee Member for Youths and Sports, Elias Murega Julius, alongside County Assembly Sports Committee Chair Julius Miriti Kaimbo.
The two were speaking during a press briefing attended by FKF officials, Meru County government Sports Council, Sub-County administrators, and Athletics Kenya representatives.
Meru County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Elias Murega Julius addressing journalists at Kinoru stadium
They warned political leaders against using the tournament for personal political mileage, insisting the competition is solely focused on fostering peace, unity, and talent development among Meru’s youth.
“The ‘Governor TUSH CUP’ tournament will feature football and athletics, with the top teams and individual athletes at the county finals level set to receive cash prizes”. Murega said.
Julius Miriti Kaimbo described the Governor’s Cup as the “mother of all tournaments” in Meru, praising Governor M’Ethingia for his resource mobilization efforts and inclusive leadership, which he said had been lacking in the previous regime.
According to Murega, the winning men’s and women’s football teams will each walk away with Sh1 million, while runners-up will earn Sh750,000.
Teams finishing third and fourth will pocket Sh500,000 and Sh300,000 respectively.
The tournament will also serve as a platform for Gen Z participants to showcase their talents and address pressing issues such as gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies.
Athletics competitions will include a variety of races—100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, and the 4x400m relay—for both men and women. Individual prizes will be awarded to the top six finishers in each category, with the winner receiving Sh35,000, second place Sh25,000, and third place Sh15,000.
Murega cautioned the public to be alert for fraudsters.
“Registration must be done strictly online through the official link: https://forms.gle/fnUxgaoGMp4vcqx78. The deadline for registration is September 28, 2025,” Murega said.
Each football team is allowed to register a maximum of 30 players, whose names and ID numbers must be submitted online during registration. No player outside the original list will be allowed to participate in the tournament. Teams are also warned against recruiting players from outside Meru County.
The competition will start at the ward level, then proceed to sub-county, and finally culminate in the county-level finals.
Miriti expressed confidence in the success of the tournament, calling it the beginning of a transformative journey for Meru’s sporting talent.
