Vipingo
Ridge's Naomi Wafula follows the path of her teeshot during the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa
Swing at VetLab Sports Club/HANDOUTThe Kenya Golf Union (KGU) and the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) have hailed professional golfers Njoroge Kibugu and Naomi Wafula for securing Sunshine Development Tour cards for the 2026 season.
KGU chairman Chris Kinuthia and KLGU chairperson Rosemary Mkok congratulated the pair for what they described as a historic breakthrough for Kenyan golf.
“The entire golfing fraternity under the Kenya Golf Union congratulates Kibugu and Wafula on this historic milestone, which will undoubtedly enhance Kenya’s profile as a golfing nation,” said Kinuthia.
He added that their achievement underscores the need for greater investment in local golf. “This underscores the need for sustained pathways such as the Sunshine Development Tour and other tours that elevate local and regional golf to global standards,” he said.
Kinuthia said the union looks forward to following both players’ progress on the Sunshine Tour and reaffirmed KGU’s commitment to supporting their careers. KLGU chairperson Mkok described Wafula’s feat as a defining moment for women’s golf in Kenya.
“We congratulate Wafula on this remarkable accomplishment, which immortalises her in Kenya’s golf history books as the first female golfer ever to earn a card to a global tour,” she said.
“We applaud her tremendous effort and focus, which have earned her the opportunity to fly Kenya’s flag in Africa’s elite ladies’ golf tour next season. This achievement aligns with our mission to promote the sustained development of women’s golf, and we remain committed to working with partners to realise that goal.”
The East Africa Swing will conclude its season with two more tournaments in January 2026: the ninth leg at Thika Greens Golf Resort, followed by the Grand Finale at Karen Country Club. The top 30 players from the Swing will battle the top 30 from South Africa’s Big Easy Tour for promotion cards to the main Sunshine Tour.
The Sunshine Development Tour -East Africa Swing promoter, Charles Gacheru, said the success of Kibugu and Wafula marks a turning point for the region’s golf journey. “ A total of 125 years after golf was introduced in this region, we launched the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing in partnership with the Sunshine Tour to create not just events, but a link to global golf,” he said. “
The Sunshine Development Tour is the only world-ranked tour in Kenya, offering ranking points that open doors to major global tours and count toward Olympic qualification.
