Safaricom’s Chapa Dimba grassroots football competition will hold Eastern Region county finals on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026 across eight counties, with winners set to receive KES 75,000 each and advance to the inter-county playoffs, according to a statement issued on September 18.

The matches will be staged in Isiolo, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni and Marsabit. Organisers said more than 60 teams will compete for county titles and progression to the inter-county playoffs, which feed into regional finals.

The organisers said county winners in both boys’ and girls’ categories will each take home KES 75,000, while runners-up will receive KES 30,000, in addition to “other individual awards”.

Chapa Dimba is one of the private-sector backed youth sports programmes in Kenya that blends community participation with structured competition and prize funding. For Safaricom, a Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed telecommunications company, the tournament also forms part of its wider public-facing initiatives, alongside its consumer and enterprise business lines, including M-PESA, according to the company’s backgrounder included in the release.

“After a successful regional tournament in Nyanza, we are excited to take Chapa Dimba to the Eastern Region for the county finals. More than 60 teams from across the eight counties will battle it out for county honours. Everything is in place, and we look forward to witnessing great talent and exciting matches over the weekend,” Oliver Kiptoo, FKF National Coordinator, said in the statement.

Several fixtures have been scheduled across the counties. In Isiolo, MAFA Academy will play Towfiq FC in the boys’ category at Kiwanjani Grounds, before Garbatulla Queens face Bridge Starlets in the girls’ category at the same venue.

Kitui will stage matches involving 16 teams. In the girls’ category, the statement listed fixtures including Kitui FC Ladies vs Kavalyani Starlets, United Starlets vs ISAA Queens, Mwitaka Starlets vs Nguni Sirens, and Young Starlets vs defending champions Syomunyu Queens at St. Charles Lwanga School. In the boys’ bracket, RMJS will face SMPI Academy, hosts St. Charles Lwanga will play Musengo Senior School, Kiongwe Juniors will face Mwingi Juniors, and Wendea FC will take on Nyanyaa Bullets.

In Machakos, the organisers said Matuu Homeboys will meet Masii Boys Senior School, while Golden Football Academy will face Koma United in the boys’ category. In the girls’ category, Kyumbi All-Stars Queens will play Kibauni Ladies and MCF will face Kisooni Queens, with matches to be held at Machakos Showground and Public Works Field.

Other listed fixtures include City Vultures Academy vs Mikinduri Stars FC and Igane Juniors vs CCM Giantune Boys in Meru, as well as Akuune Queens vs Mwariama Queens and CCM Giantune vs Timberyard Queens in the girls’ category. In Embu, Black Cats Football Academy will play Mufuu JSS, while Ishiara Brights Academy will face Pwani FC at Numbure Grounds; the girls’ fixtures include Ishiara Bright Starlets vs AIC Ndune Queens and Royal Queens Academy vs Kavutiri Lionesses.

Marsabit matches will be played at Marsabit Stadium, with Red Tigers scheduled to face Abdary FC and Turbi FC set to play DG Stingers FC. In Makueni, the boys’ category will feature Mbuthani Secondary School, Mukuyuni School and Kalawa Pride Juniors at Sultan Hamud Stadium, while AIC Sultan Queens will face Kiambani Queens in the girls’ category. In Tharaka Nithi, matches will be played at Kajiunduthi and Kairuni stadiums, the statement said.

Organisers said the Eastern Region finals will be held in Embu on Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3, 2026, bringing together qualifying teams from the county phase to compete for regional honours and further progression.

Safaricom’s Chapa Dimba Season Five begins on Saturday, June 27, with grassroots matches across the Western region as registrations for the youth football tournament rose to 3,178 teams nationwide, according to a company press release dated June 26, 2026.

The opening round in Western Kenya has attracted 521 teams drawn from Kakamega, Busia, Vihiga and Bungoma counties. Safaricom said the regional entry includes 340 boys’ teams and 181 girls’ teams, which it described as an increase from the previous season.

Nationally, Safaricom reported that 2,367 boys’ teams and 811 girls’ teams registered for the tournament, taking the total to 3,178 teams and exceeding a target of 3,000 teams. The company did not disclose the prior season’s national registration figures in the statement.

The tournament forms part of Safaricom’s broader youth and community programming and sits at the intersection of sport, education and corporate social investment in Kenya. For businesses, such initiatives remain a key channel for brand engagement in counties while also supporting talent development and local ecosystems around sports—ranging from transport and hospitality to small traders around match venues.

Speaking ahead of the kick-off, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa linked the high registration numbers to the tournament’s role in youth football development.

“Every season, we are seeing more teams, more talent, and more success stories emerge from communities across Kenya. While not every team was able to secure a place in this year's competition, we encourage those who missed out to continue preparing and look forward to the next season. Chapa Dimba is a long-term platform, and there will always be another opportunity to showcase talent and pursue football dreams,” Ndegwa said.

Safaricom said last season’s Western Regional champions—Ebwali Boys from Vihiga County and Brenda Girls from Bungoma County—are among teams expected to return this year.

Francis Muhambe, head coach of Vihiga Cranes, said the tournament has previously created progression opportunities for players into the All-Star programme.

“We are excited to have Safaricom Chapa Dimba back. Last season, I led Ebwali FC to become regional champions, and I was proud to see players like Austine Odongo, Derrick Oketch and Edwin Onyango progress to the All-Star team that travelled to Spain. This year, I return with a new team, confident they will perform well and attract interest from national league clubs,” Muhambe said.

Under the competition structure outlined by Safaricom, teams will advance from ward-level matches through sub-county, county, regional and national stages. Safaricom said national champions in both boys’ and girls’ categories will each receive KES 1 million, alongside additional prizes at county and regional levels and individual awards for Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer and Best Goalkeeper.

Beyond match results, Safaricom said 150 players will be selected from county to national level to receive fully funded tertiary education scholarships under its Citizens of the Future programme. The company said the scholarships will cover tuition, accommodation and a monthly stipend at public tertiary institutions in Kenya.

Safaricom added that outstanding players will form an All-Stars team that will represent Kenya at the Gothia Cup in Sweden, which it described as the world’s largest youth football tournament, offering exposure to international competition and scouting networks.

Looking ahead, attention will shift to participation levels in other regions as the tournament rolls out nationally, and to the pipeline from regional stages to the national finals. Safaricom said Chapa Dimba, launched in 2017, has produced players who progress into local leagues, national teams and international clubs, and the company is positioning Season Five to continue those pathways.