Vihiga Cranes from Vihiga County and Lugari Progressive (Archbishop Njenga Girls) from Kakamega County won the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Western Region finals on August 16, 2026, at Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi, Bungoma County, according to a statement from Safaricom. Each team received KES 250,000 and will represent the Western Region at the national finals scheduled for next year.

In the boys’ final, Vihiga Cranes beat Busia’s Musokoto Secondary School 1-0. Safaricom said the decisive goal came in the 61st minute when Tonny Omondi scored with a header from a corner delivered by Luke Ramsey.

The girls’ final ended 0-0 in regular time before Lugari Progressive defeated Busia’s Chakol Girls 5-4 on penalties, Safaricom said.

Chapa Dimba is a school-based football competition run by Safaricom and now in its fifth edition. For Safaricom, the tournament forms part of its broader youth engagement and community programmes and also acts as a regional platform for talent identification and progression to national-level competition.

Speaking after the boys’ final, Francis Muhambe, head coach of Vihiga Cranes, said the team’s attention would shift to the next stage. “First, I want to thank God for this victory and also Safaricom for putting together such an amazing tournament. We are delighted to win the Western Region title... But the job is not done yet; our focus now shifts to the national finals, where we hope to go all the way,” Muhambe said.

Fred Serenge, head coach of Lugari Progressive, said the girls’ final was decided by resilience and preparation. “It wasn’t an easy game, but I want to congratulate my girls for working hard, staying focused and fighting until the end to win the trophy... The girls are really excited to be going home with KES 250,000, along with other prizes, including smartphones and airtime,” Serenge said.

Safaricom said runners-up Musokoto Secondary School and Chakol Girls received KES 150,000 each, alongside smartphones and airtime.

Individual awards in both boys’ and girls’ categories included Best Goalkeeper and Top Scorer prizes worth KES 30,000 each, Safaricom said. The Most Valuable Player (Golden Ball) also received KES 30,000 and a fully funded tertiary education scholarship under the Safaricom Citizens of the Future Programme, according to the statement.

In the girls’ category, Safaricom said the Top Scorer award was shared by Hanisa Mashasha of Chakol Girls and Lugari Progressive’s Lydia Laura, Zipporah Wanyonyi, Delphine Mutirira and Viola Chepkorir. In the boys’ category, the Top Scorer award was shared by Mellon Omondi and Tonny Omondi of Vihiga Cranes alongside Rom Okitwi, Frankline Pual and Calvin Masai of Musokoto Secondary.

Safaricom said the boys’ MVP award went to Elvis Ogiro of Musokoto Secondary, while the girls’ MVP award went to Hanifa Mashasha of Chakol Girls. Best Goalkeeper awards went to Nabo Ochieng of Musokoto Secondary and Shamsy Pachanga of Lugari Progressive, the company said.

Beyond sport, corporate-backed school competitions have become a visible channel for community investment and youth development in Kenya, often linking prize money, scholarships and exposure to structured pathways for further education. For regions outside Nairobi, the travel, hosting and sponsorship spending tied to finals can also support local micro-business activity around venues, including transport, hospitality and retail trade.

Safaricom said the tournament will now move to the Central Region finals, scheduled for Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, at Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga County. The remaining regional winners will then qualify for the national finals next year.