John Kamaisi arrived at Kiambu Golf Club believing he could win. By Sunday evening, the Nakuru Golf Club player had proved himself right.
Kamaisi held his composure through a tense final round to claim the 2026 NCBA Kiambu Open title, finishing on three-over par 219 after three demanding days of competition.
The tournament, one of the key stops on the Kenya Amateur Golf Circuit, drew 82 golfers, with only 32 surviving the cut after the opening two rounds.
Kamaisi opened with rounds of 72 and 75 before producing an even-par 72 in the final round, enough to edge out a tightly packed leaderboard and secure the championship.
His victory earned him KSh92,500 from the tournament’s KSh500,000 prize fund.
The defining moment came midway through the back nine. After dropping shots earlier in the round, Kamaisi responded with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, a run that steadied his challenge just as pressure began to build.
“I was three-over at number 11, so I needed birdies,” Kamaisi said after his victory. “I tried to look for birdies and I got them on 11, 12 and 13.”
There were still nervous moments ahead. A bogey on the 14th briefly threatened to reopen the contest, but Kamaisi noticed that rival Ebill Omollo had also dropped a shot at the same hole.
“That’s when I knew this was all mine to lose,” he said.
Kamaisi said confidence had grown during a practice round earlier in the week.
“I came here on Thursday for a practice round and played two-under,” he said. “So I knew I was going to win this tournament.”
The result lifts Kamaisi to second place in the Kenya Amateur Golf Circuit Order of Merit standings with 344 points after eight events this season. He now trails leader Jay Sandhu of Muthaiga Golf Club, who sits top on 560 points after victories earlier this season at the Muthaiga Open and Windsor Classic.
Junior golfer Junaid Manji is third with 334 points. Rwandan golfer Felix Dusabe finished second on six-over par 222 after rounds of 74, 75 and 73, while Omollo claimed third place on nine-over par.
Kenya Golf Union chairman Chris Kinuthia praised both the standard of competition and the growing depth within Kenya’s amateur golf scene.
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