Mudavadi pleased with growth of Esports

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi (centre) and Esports Kenya president Ronny Lusigi (left) during the Nairobi eLigue1tour qualifiers at KCB Sports Club, Ruaraka in Nairobi on March 16, 2024. [Esports Kenya Federation]

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has been impressed with the tremendous growth of Esports in the country.

Speaking after gracing the Nairobi eLigue1tour qualifiers at KCB Sports Club, Ruaraka over the weekend, Mudavadi said online games have made youths more creative and innovative.

The tournament set a record for the highest participation numbers of a live Esports competition in Kenya.

“I am amazed with the huge numbers I have seen here. Esports is becoming extremely popular and it's good to see our youth becoming innovative and creating opportunities.  Our government is committed to supporting talented Kenyans to not only bring pride to Kenya but also to earn from their talent,” said Mudavadi.

Fast rising esports sensation Harry Kappa beat defending champion Eric 'Demon' Ngige 3-1 to clinch the title.

However, both Kappa and Ngige booked their slots in the national finals alongside Jojo Depay who finished third as well as Luony 'Fox' Teat who qualified via the wildcard as the representatives of the Nairobi region.

Kappa said there is no time to celebrate as has quickly switched his focus to winning the national title.

“I am happy to have won the Nairobi Qualifiers. However, there is no time to celebrate. The job is not yet done. My focus is on the bigger assignment of the national finals. I shall work hard in training this week to prepare for the finals,” said Kappa.

Esports Kenya president Ronny Lusigi thanked the government for supporting Esports and called on more corporates to come on board.

“It warms our hearts as the esports fraternity to receive this recognition and support from the government of Kenya. This is testament to the growth that we are making.  As a federation, we commit to upholding fairness, transparency and inclusivity. We are calling on our corporates to also jump in and support Esports,” said Lusigi.