Nairobi resident and Kenyan Scrabble® player Joash Manyasa writes:

Matayo Bwire and I left for Kampala, Uganda to assist the Ugandans in holding their first tournament on 16-17 June 2001. We stopped over at Busia Border Town 450Km west of Nairobi to have a word with the officials of Busia Scrabble® Club. Four of their members decided to accompany us to Kampala.

We arrived just in time to start off the tourney at 10.00am. We were warmly welcomed by their officials, led by Sir Henry Lubega but alas! We could not start as too many people turned out, and there were not enough Scrabble® boards!

Mr WK Binyomo offered to collect 5 boards from his club. I told everyone to go for an early lunch and reassemble at exactly 12.30. Thanks very much to Henry and Geria for entertaining us Kenyans with the Luombo Special (special food cooked for the royal family).

I was surprised to see Mr. Binyomo come back with 5 Deluxe Boards in this country where Scrabble® has not taken roots.

I announced that we would play 16 games. Little did I know that in a game where more than 80% are debutantes you may have to sing to their tune. These gentlemen could just walk out whenever in need of a soda or a snack. They did not know the importance of a point. Remember at the beginning they could not even tell why one is on table one while the other was on seven. They complained of excessive tiredness on game 5 of day 1, which made me reduce the games to 14.

There were surprises! I was the first to receive one in game 2 when I fell to Uganda's Kiggundu after stupidly opening. He went ahead to beat KASA vice Chairman Matayo Bwire, before collecting a point from the eventual winner at Board One. We noted him, and by use of experience he had to fall to board 7 before rising again to wind up in position 5.

Watch them - they are capable of having a very good side in the next 3 months!

RESULTS OF THE FIRST UGANDA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

VENUE -- YMCA COMPLEX IN WANDEGEYA AREA

TURNOUT -- 37 INCLUDING 3 LADIES

GAMES -- 14 (seven on each day)

FORMAT -- SWISS PAIRING SYSTEM FROM GAME 1- 14

NON CITIZENS-- 6 KENYANS

 **Did not play - insufficient boards