Led by founder Steve Muturi and co-founder Denyse Cherie, Ni-Wakati Sports Africa (NWSA) is committed to using sport as a vehicle for community development, social inclusion and opportunity creation.

The partnership will explore the development of the GSS SPI Assessment Programme in Kenya, working with Kenyatta University as its Knowledge Partner. Ni-Wakati is also the Community Engagement Partner of the recently launched Kenyatta University Centre for Olympic Studies (KUCOS), the first of its kind in East and Central Africa.

Turning sporting events into climate action

During October, Ni-Wakati supported several initiatives demonstrating how sporting events can become platforms for environmental responsibility.

At the Safari 7s rugby tournament, Ni-Wakati collaborated with Kenyan rugby Olympian Kevin Wekesa, winner of the 2025 IOC Climate Action Award, and his Play Green Initiative.

Together, they helped collect over one tonne of plastic and other waste generated during the tournament.

Steve Muturi, Founder of Ni-Wakati Sports Africa, explained:

“Sport is not just about competition, medals, and entertainment. It is also a powerful platform for education, behaviour change, community mobilisation, and sustainable development.”

The initiative highlighted how athletes, spectators and sporting organisations can contribute to practical environmental action.

Running for nature and conservation

Ni-Wakati also partnered with Blaze Sports Marketing to organise the Arabuko-Sokoke Elephant Trail Run in Kilifi, bringing together sport, biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism.

The event, supported by Paralympic champion Henry Wanyoike, promoted awareness of the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, one of East Africa’s most important remaining coastal forest ecosystems.

Digital partnerships with Racemate and Lyvely helped extend the initiative’s reach internationally, including through virtual participation.

Muturi believes such events offer opportunities beyond sporting competition.

“We must move beyond organising individual sporting events and build year-round sports-tourism experiences that attract international participants, extend visitor stays, support local businesses, create jobs for young people, empower communities and generate sustainable funding for conservation.”

Unlocking Kenya’s sporting potential

Ni-Wakati is also exploring opportunities to develop the Kilifi Coast as a sports tourism destination, introducing inclusive activities including walking football, gateball and beach gateball.

Working with local hospitality and investment partners, including Lemach Hotel in Kilifi and Inuka Afrika Properties Ltd, Ni-Wakati is exploring opportunities to connect sport, tourism, hospitality and community development.

Discussions are underway with local hospitality and investment partners, including a potential Africa Beach Dodgeball Championship in 2027.

Meanwhile, Ni-Wakati has supported community participation initiatives, including activities celebrating the UN International Day of Older Persons and volunteering at the Nairobi Standard Chartered Marathon.

These activities demonstrate how sport can engage different generations while creating new opportunities for communities and businesses.

Developing the SPI Assessment Programme in Kenya

Through the new strategic partnership, GSS and Ni-Wakati aim to work with academic partners to develop a Kenyan application of the SPI Assessment Programme.

Using GSS’s Seven Sustainable Pillars of Sport, the initiative will examine how sporting organisations contribute through Partnerships, Participation, People, Planet, Power, Profile and Prosperity.

The ambition is to develop comparable evidence of sport’s wider impact, helping organisations demonstrate their contribution to society while identifying new commercial and partnership opportunities.

Discussions are also planned around establishing a sports sustainability conference in Kenya in 2027.

For GSS and Ni-Wakati, the opportunity is to demonstrate that the future value of African sport lies not only in sporting performance, but also in its ability to deliver measurable social, environmental and economic impact.