Kenya hailed after historic World Rafting success in Sagana

Kenya received praise from African Rafting Council President Belabus El Mamoun following the country's successful hosting of the World Rafting Cup and African Rafting Championships 2026 at Rapids Camp along the Tana River in Sagana.

It was the first time the prestigious event had been staged on African soil, and Kenya crowned the historic occasion by emerging as the continent's top-performing nation.

Kenya dominated by winning the mixed team title as well as both the men's and women's para-rafting events. Kenya also collected six gold medals across the multi-discipline competition to secure direct qualification for the upcoming World Rafting Championships in Argentina.

"I would like to thank all the athletes from Kenya and around the world who came to Sagana for this historic event, which attracted 18 nations," said Belabus. "Kenya has shown that Africa is capable of hosting world-class rafting competitions."

Team Kenya also impressed in the World Rafting Cup against some of the sport's traditional powerhouses by claiming silver in the global para-rafting competition behind Italy, while the Kenyan women's team finished third after Italy won gold and Russia, competing under a neutral flag, took silver.

In the men's competition, Kenya earned a bronze medal behind champions Italy and runners-up Czechia, while the mixed team narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish as the neutral Russian team claimed both gold and silver.

Kenyan rafter Andrew Gichohi said the team's success resulted from months of hard work and proper preparation.

"This competition required us to push ourselves to the limit because we were competing against experienced international teams. We prepared for about three months, and we are grateful to the government, through the Ministry of Sports, for supporting us by providing a Coach," said Gichohi.