Nekesa, Najjuko rise from semifinal heartbreak to bronze

Purity Nalua Nekesa and Claire Najjuko gave Uganda something to celebrate on home sand after winning bronze at the 2026 CAVB Zone V Beach Volleyball Championship at Bunjako Beach in Buwama on Sunday.

The Ugandan pair bounced back from a painful semi-final defeat to beat South Sudan’s Agor Madut and Diing 21-15, 21-12 in straight sets in the bronze medal match, ensuring the hosts finished on the podium.

Nekesa and Najjuko had been within reach of the final after winning the first set 21-12 against Kenya’s Selina Gambo and Sharleen Sembel in the semi-finals.

However, the Kenyans fought back to take the second set 22-20 before winning the decider 15-11 to end Uganda’s hopes of playing for gold.

Rather than let the disappointment derail their campaign, the Ugandans regrouped and delivered a composed performance against South Sudan to secure third place.

The bronze medal earned them US$300 and ensured Uganda matched its performance at last year’s championship in Burundi, where the women also finished third while the men reached the quarter-finals.

Burundi take women’s gold

Burundi’s Pamella Irakoze and Emmanuelie Dayikengurukiye won the women’s title after overcoming Kenya’s Gambo and Sembel in a thrilling three-set final.

Kenya started strongly, taking the opening set 21-14, but Burundi responded with a 21-19 win in the second set before edging the decider 15-13 to claim gold.

Kenya settled for silver, while Uganda completed the podium through Nekesa and Najjuko.

Burundi had earlier booked its place in the final with a straight-sets victory over South Sudan’s Agor Madut and Diing, winning 21-13, 21-15 in the semi-finals.

Other Ugandan pairs bow out

Nekesa and Najjuko were Uganda’s standout performers, but the country’s other representatives could not make it beyond the quarter-finals.

Margaret Namyalo and Eunice Amuron lost 2-0 to Kenya, going down 21-13, 21-15 to bring their women’s campaign to an end.

In the men’s competition, Luc Florent Kimararungu and Aziizi Busingye also fell at the last-eight stage after losing 2-0 to Kenya’s Anthony Chimanyi and Joseph Muliro.

The Ugandans lost the opening set 21-12 but put up a stronger fight in the second before narrowly falling 22-20.

Kenya’s Chimanyi and Muliro subsequently reached the bronze medal match but could not advance to the final after losing to Burundi’s Christophe Mukunzi and Jean-Baptiste Iteriteka in the semi-finals.

Uganda’s second men’s pair, John Baptist Ogire and Isaac Ogusul, exited in the group stage.

Burundi dominate men’s competition

Carmel Gakiza and Florian Manariyo

Burundi enjoyed a strong showing in the men’s category, with its two pairs meeting in an all-Burundi final.

Carmel Gakiza and Florian Manariyo defeated Mukunzi and Iteriteka 2-1 to win gold, leaving their compatriots with silver.

Kenya claimed the bronze medal through Chimanyi and Muliro, who defeated compatriots Richard Amutalla and Momanyi Oseko in straight sets.

The results gave Burundi both top positions in the men’s competition, while Kenya took bronze.

Uganda’s home campaign

Uganda fielded four teams at the championship under coaches Edward Bwenje and Shamim Makongoro, with two pairs competing in each category.

The women’s teams produced the better results. Namyalo and Amuron reached the quarter-finals, while Nekesa and Najjuko went further, finishing third to give the hosts a medal.

In the men’s category, Kimararungu and Busingye reached the quarter-finals, but Ogire and Ogusul failed to progress beyond the group stage.

The prize money rewarded the top three finishers in both categories, with each gold medal-winning pair receiving US$700, silver medallists taking US$500 and bronze medallists earning US$300. The total promised prize money for the men’s and women’s competitions was US$3,000.

Regional tour continues

The Entebbe leg, which started on October 22 at Bunjako Beach on the shores of Lake Victoria, is part of the 2026 Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone V Beach Volleyball Tour.

The regional circuit brings national teams together to compete for prize money, continental ranking points and podium finishes. It spans four host cities: Bujumbura in Burundi which is already done, Entebbe Tour (also done) in Uganda, Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Although the Zone V membership comprises 12 countries; Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, participation in the Entebbe leg was largely limited to Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan.

South Sudan made its tournament debut, while other scheduled teams, including Somalia, withdrew because of logistical challenges.

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