According to the calendar and supplementary circular released by the Ministry of Education, chess competitions will be held during the second term of the school calendar.
Chess has officially been incorporated into the Kenyan school sports calendar and will now be competed in both primary and secondary school games across the country.
In a statement shared on its official social media platforms, Chess Kenya welcomed the milestone, noting that the move provides student players with an additional pathway to international competition, complementing opportunities already available through the federation’s existing structures.
Chess Kenya further pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA), and the Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association (KPSA) to build capacity and ensure the effective management and growth of chess within the school sports system.
According to the calendar and supplementary circular released by the Ministry of Education, chess competitions will be held during the second term of the school calendar.
Teams selected through the school games system will go on to represent Kenya at the FEASSA Games scheduled for 2026 in Morogoro, Tanzania. Chess Kenya has also noted that the host country has confirmed that chess competitions will take place at Hall 1 of Morogoro Teachers College.
Chess made its debut at the FEASSA Games in 2025, where it was met with great enthusiasm and recorded notable success, paving the way for its full inclusion in the 2026 edition.
The federation also clarified that the introduction of chess into school games will not affect its existing calendar for the selection of players to other international competitions.
School chess competitions will be conducted as team events, with each team comprising six players in the following categories:
- Primary Section
- Junior Secondary Section
- Secondary Section
This development marks a significant step forward in nurturing chess talent at the grassroots level and strengthening Kenya’s presence on the regional and international chess stage.