By KPC Sports Reporter
The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has committed Sh10 million towards the Athletics Kenya (AK) National Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials, set to take place from June 18 to 20 at Nyayo National Stadium.
This is even as athletes intensify their quest for places in Kenya’s team for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Also Read
The three-day competition will double as the official selection event for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
Athletics Kenya is expected to name a 49-member squad to represent the country at the multi-sport event.
Speaking during the sponsorship announcement, KCB Head of Public Sector Coverage Charles Nyangito reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting sports development and helping athletes realise their potential.
“At KCB, we firmly believe that sport is a powerful platform for fostering national pride, nurturing talent and creating opportunities for young people to showcase their abilities on regional and international stages,” said Nyangito.
Athletics Kenya Senior Vice President Paul Mutwii disclosed that 150 athletes have been invited for the trials after a larger pool of approximately 400 athletes had initially been submitted to the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) as potential team members.
“AK was requested by NOCK to submit a list of probable athletes and about 400 athletes were initially presented altogether,” said Mutwii.
“That number has since been trimmed to 150 athletes. This is to ensure that NOCK adequately prepares the athletes ahead of the Games.”
According to Mutwii, NOCK has allocated Athletics Kenya 49 slots for the Glasgow Games, prompting the federation to prioritise events where Kenya has the strongest medal prospects.
“NOCK has given AK a quota of 49 athletes who will be selected for the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“Based on that quota, AK will focus on the events where the nation is most likely to win medals.”
Eligibility requirements
Athletics Kenya also outlined stringent eligibility requirements for athletes hoping to secure selection. Besides accreditation by NOCK, athletes must comply with anti-doping regulations, including undergoing between two and three out-of-competition tests conducted by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) between January 1 and July 22, 2026, in accordance with Commonwealth Games rules.
The federation further confirmed that competitors for the one-mile race at the Games will be selected from the results of the 1,500m event during the championships.
Winners in each discipline will earn automatic qualification to the national team, provided they meet all the stipulated requirements. The selection panel will then determine the second and third athletes in events where additional slots are available.
Mutwii urged all invited athletes to report by June 17 to collect their competition bibs ahead of the championships.
Once the trials are concluded, Athletics Kenya will submit the final team to NOCK, which is responsible for overseeing Kenya’s participation in international multi-sport competitions.
The championships will attract athletes from all 12 Athletics Kenya regions—Nairobi, Central, Central Rift, North Rift, South Rift, Southern, Eastern, Western, Nyanza South, Nyanza North, North Eastern and Coast—as well as affiliate institutions including the Kenya Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Defence Forces, National Youth Service, universities, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service, AK Diaspora and the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutes.
Beyond the track and field programme, the championships will also feature relay races and race walking events, with medals awarded to the top three finishers in each final. Team honours will be contested in the overall, men’s, women’s and most improved team categories.
Mutwii added that the event will also attract international participation, with athletes from Uganda, Ethiopia, Lesotho, South Sudan and Zambia expected to compete alongside the Refugee Team, adding further quality and competition to the championships.
