KENYA is bracing for one of her biggest sporting hypes after winning the bid to host the 2007 World Cross Country championships.

Joy swept across the country yesterday after the deliberations made at the International Amateur Athletics Association (IAAF) council meeting in Moscow in which sports minister Ochilo Ayacko led Kenya’s delegation. Kenya won the bid following overwhelming support by 27 members of the IAAF council.

Kenya’s Coastal town of Mombasa will thus become the third African city to host the championships after Marrakech in Morocco and South African capital Johannesburg.

And President Mwai Kibaki lauded Kenya’s victory to host the 2007 World Cross-Country championship.

Speaking in Mombasa where he has been for a three-day official visit, President Kibaki said the acceptance of Kenya’s bid to host the world event will provide an opportunity to show case Kenya’s talents.

“We are indeed excited that at long last the world cross country championship is now coming home to Kenya,” President Kibaki. He said he looked forward to welcoming the world to witness the memorable event.

The President said he was confident Mombasa with its rich natural heritage and tourism facilities is well positioned to host the international event.

Kenya’s bid to host the marathon has coincidentally come at the time when her country’s athletes are on a winning trail across the world as just recently, Paul Tergat, Susan Chepkemei and James Saina won the New York City and Athens Marathons.

Tergat, who is also the World record holder, won the mens title in New York after clocking an impressive 2:09:31 seconds while Chepkemei emerged second in womens division as Saina led a Kenyan sweep of the Athens Classic Marathon.

Kenya have dominated the World marathon since making their maiden appearance in the race in mid 80 with Tergat and John Ngugi winning the title five times each and William Sigei two times each.

Tergat, who was Kenya’s envoy in the delegation to Moscow, is currently the world record holder and Kenya’s main hopeful in the competition in Mombasa.

Other Kenyan greats who have stamped their authority in various other races in the yesteryear include Ibrahim Hussein and Douglas Wakiihuri.

Hussein did Kenya proud when he won the Boston marathon three times (1988, 1991 and 1992)..

The Event Venue
The proposed course lies on the seaward side that presents a face of coral cliffs to the Indian Ocean. On top of the cliff is a golf course that will provide good footing for the runners, natural hazards for them to negotiate-and magnificent views. The course may be the most scenically attractive ever used and, at sea level provides a ‘level playing field’ to all competitors.

Mombasa - The Host City

Mombasa is well positioned to serve as a tourist centre. Visitors to Kenya have so many places to go to and so much they can do that this brief article cannot describe them all, so it will concern itself with Mombasa city and those attractions within 250km.

Within Mombasa itself, the principal tourist attraction is Fort Jesus. Built by the Portuguese in the late 1500s, it served as a strong base from which whoever was in occupation could control long stretches of coast and large areas of the hinterland. After changing hands nine times, the British took it in 1875 and from then until 1958 the Fort Jesus served as a prison. Since 1958, when it was renovated and restored, the Fort has been a magnet for visitors. One can easily spend half a day exploring it and the small but varied museum it holds.

The city has many mosques, temples and churches worthy of a visit. They range from the Mombasa Memorial Cathedral to the Shree Cutch Satsang Temple. The first boasts a silver dome, the other brightly painted doors and pictures. On Moi Avenue on the way to the docks from the city centre, is a close runner-up to Fort Jesus as the attraction in Mombasa, the Jumbo Tusk Arch. Made of riveted metal, two pairs of giant tusks span the dual-carriageway. In common with many other ports, Mombasa has developed a wide variety of restaurants. One can eat very well at the romantic Tamarind, nibble a roasted corncob from a roadside vendor or try any of the many Asian and Eastern cuisines that are on offer.

To the north of town is Haller Park, the site of a remarkable example of how resilient Nature can be, especially when helped by a knowledgeable ecologist. The Park started as a huge quarry excavated by a cement manufacturer in search of raw material. Now it holds a forest, animals and a fish farm that produces 40 tonnes a year. It is an amazing place.

Going further up the coast road takes one first to Kilifi and then Gedi, Malindi and Lamu. Kilifi might have been Kenya's port save for the fact that the reef blocks the entrance to its lagoon. Gedi is a 13th century ruined town that has an aura of mystery. No one knows why its inhabitants finally abandoned it in the early 17th Century. Malindi is famed for its sandy beaches and dunes that stretch for miles and are largely deserted. Just before reaching Malindi one passes Watamu where the Marine National Park offers a chance to see a coral reef in all its glory.

Further north still lies Lamu, a wonderful old stone town with distinctive architecture, carved doors, narrow streets and the absence of vehicles. It is probably best visited by plane to Manda airstrip and boat across the creek. It is said to be a very good place to do nothing in comfort!

Going across the Likoni ferry and south of Mombasa one soon gets to Kwale and the Shimba Hills National Park. A few kilometers further takes one past the 15th century Kongo Mosque to Diani. Diani Beach is a whole complex of hotels, water sports establishments and nightclubs. It also has a magnificent long, wide beach with clean sand washed gently by the Indian Ocean waves.

Further south lie Chale Island, Gazi, Msambweni, Shimoni and Wasini Island, all of which offer glorious beaches that get progressively less developed and more deserted as one goes down the coast. Crossing the causeway takes one inland along the first part of what is intended to be a trans-Africa highway. One-hundred-and-fifty kilometers along is Voi, which is near to the gates to Tsavo East National Park. Together with Tsavo West Park, the more developed of the two, they cover about 21,000 sq km. The East is less visited and partly closed to allow the rangers more freedom to deal with poachers.

There are many more places that are worth a visit. It is a matter of being spoilt for choice - just as all who come to Kenya are when they plan an itinerary.


Kenya - The Host Country
Kenya is a great place for a wide range of sporting activities. One can go sailing, wind-surfing scuba-diving, kite-boarding and deep-sea fishing at the coast, or motor rallying, mountain biking, white-water rafting and fresh water fishing – or golfing everywhere.

Most major towns have a stadium; Nairobi has two modern, well-equipped facilities including gymnasiums and olympic-sized swimming pools. Somewhere in Kenya you will find nearly every sport practised and experts or at least players in each. Perhaps understandably, the country is short of curling stars. However, it does have a bobsleigh enthusiast! Football is played countrywide but Kenya's best-known association with international sporting events is undoubtedly the Safari Rally.

This world-famous motor sport event has been running for more than half a century and for most of that time the Safari Rally brought a whole range of visitors to Kenya every year. Motor sport holds other international meetings in Kenya, such as the motorcycle Enduro and the Rhino Charge, both of which are off-road competitions.

The annual Maralal Camel Derby exemplifies racing of another type, an annual event in which local riders are as successful as local drivers once were in the Safari Rally.

Turning to team sports, every June Kenya hosts the 'Tusker Safari Sevens' that pits the world's top invitational sides in a three-day celebration of that particularly exciting version of the game: Rugby is an increasingly popular spectator sport in Nairobi.

International cricket appeared on the Kenyan scene only recently but seems sure to increase its appeal in the coming years, while Kenya saw its first sailing World Championship when the International Fireball Association held their 2004 annual event in Kilifi.

More closely associated with running is the Nairobi marathon, which promises to become a major event. Another marathon is held at Lewa Downs. This is a charity event run 'off-road' at some 1,700m altitude through a wildlife conservancy. The Daily Telegraph described it as one of the 'top 100 things to do'.