Late Kaheru to be honoured with scrabble tournament in Jinja

Formerly known as the Rock Challenge on the Scrabble Association of Uganda (SAU) calendar, the event returns as the Kenneth Kaheru Memorial Scrabble Tournament at Jinja Golf Club on August 29-30.

The event has been revived to honour the late Kenneth Kaheru, a distinguished player who founded the competition.

Kaheru was part of the four-member team, along with Davis Apuuli, Godwin Murungi, and Karen Nambboga, that won a bronze medal for Uganda at the 2023 East Central and Southern Africa Scrabble Championship in Gaborone, Botswana.

According to Davis Apuuli, chairman of the organising committee, Kaheru’s event was consistently the largest in East Africa, attracting many players from across the continent each August.

“To keep his tournament alive, I decided to host it but change its name to honour his legacy. His tournament was always the biggest tournament in East Africa, as it attracted the biggest number of participants from all over Africa,” Apuuli said.

A ten-man committee that also includes Dan Mayanja, Ronnie Werikhe, Charlotte Kaheru, Jerom Ssenggoba, Assumpta Nakyanzi, Trinity Katega, Caroline Mboijana, Joseph Wabwire, and Moses Ssagala is behind the event, which is also expected to attract competitors from Kenya.

At Kilimani Primary School in Kenya, he won several awards at a school sports event. His achievements were recognised in a national newspaper after the mayor of Nairobi, who attended as the guest of honour, presented him with an award.

“His talent continued into secondary school. At St. Mary’s High School in Nairobi, Kenneth balanced strong academic performance with active involvement in sports. He took part in athletics, chess, and football and played on the school rugby team. After his family moved back to Uganda, he joined King’s College Budo and again excelled in athletics. As he grew older, Kenneth tried new sports like golf and Scrabble, bringing the same passion and drive that marked his earlier achievements. Even though he was humble, Kenneth was very determined. He approached everything, sports, academics, or work, with intelligence, discipline, and a strong will,” Charlotte noted.

“He was known for always giving his best and stepping up when it mattered. While many people have skills in different areas without mastering any, Kenneth’s life was different. His commitment helped him become truly skilled in many fields.”