Njoroge Kibugu: Government Honours Ksh5 Million Promise to Magical Kenya Open Hero

Kenyan’s golf sensation Njoroge Kibugu has been rewarded for his stellar show at the Magical Kenya Open where he was the top local at the competition.

As the sole Kenyan to make the cut in the prestigious DP World Tour event, the 22-year-old did not just earn the respect of the local galleries; he secured a financial windfall totaling millions of shillings.

Kibugu’s journey through the four-day tournament at the Karen Country Club was a rollercoaster of grit and precision. After a dramatic eagle on the 18th hole on Friday to make the weekend cut, he faced a challenging third round that threatened to slide him down the leaderboard.

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However, showing the maturity of a seasoned pro, Njoroge Kibugu bounced back on the final day. Under the rain-drenched skies of Nairobi, he carded an impressive five-under-par 65, finishing the tournament at six under par overall.

His performance placed him in a tie for 61st position, earning him $7,560 (Ksh974,862) but that was a drop in the ocean as President Ruto promised him a government reward of Ksh5 million with ABSA Bank pledging a Ksh2 million token of appreciation.

On Tuesday, the government lived true to its promise when Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya handed him the Ksh5 million cheque while stating that the monetary reward was a solid demonstration of the President's full commitment to promote talent and support the growth of sports.

“Njoroge has attracted a lot of attention internationally. Very soon, he will be joining the international tournament,” Mvurya said while emphasising the government’s resolve to nurture and inspire talent in diverse sports disciplines.

While receiving the cheque, Kibugu said the award was an inspiration to other golfers and proof that investing time, skills and resources in training was rewarding.

“This is a great move, not just for me but for the rest of golfers, juniors and who are inspired to play this professionally they can now see, if you put time and effort, it can be achieved,” said Kibugu.

The ceremony was attended by Principal Secretary State Department for Sports Elijah Mwangi, Golf Kenya president Philip Ochola and Magical Kenya Open chairman Patrick Obath.