A form three student at St. Mathia’s Busia Secondary School, Linus Odour beat students and amateurs from Kenya and Uganda to win the Scrabble Kenya Division ‘C’ tournament that ended at Chef West Hotel in Busia Town on Sunday.
Oduor, the national secondary schools champion, won the title with 12 wins, four losses and a spread of +1107 to earn promotion to Division B.
Marion Awuor (12-4 +653) took the second position with Busia veteran player Largus Amukanga (11-5, +731) closing the top three positions. Oduor’s colleague at St. Mathia’s Joshua Barasa took the fourth position with Ian Otieno of Burumba coming in fifth.
Oduor, Otieno, Barasa and Japheth Wandera qualified in July to represent Kenya in the World Scrabble Championships in Malaysia in late November. In Division ‘B’ category, Eric Wamalwa was the best-placed player from Busia County with a third-place finish (12-6, +680).
The event was won by John Sang from Uasin Gishu County (14-4, +472) with Willis Ang’awa from Siaya taking the second position with 13-5, +703.
Nairobi Stima’s Nicholas Mbugua from Nairobi Stima Club won his second title in a row in Division A (Premier category) with 13-5 +1031. Edgar Odongkara from Uganda with 12-6, +936 took the second position ahead of his compatriot Edwin-Mugisha (12-6, +909).