Fresh from representing Kenya at the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPAC) Championships in Accra, Ghana, the imperious Willy Mwangi clinched the Scrabble Kenya Kiambu title over the weekend.
Armed with key lessons from the global stage, Mwangi delivered a dominant performance to win his first title of the season, rekindling memories of his past triumphs—his 2019 Mombasa victory, the 2023 East, Central and Southern Africa (ECASA) title, and the 2023 national win in Bond.
Mwangi, a barber based in Nakuru town, said competing against top-tier opponents in Ghana sharpened his resolve and elevated his game.
“Sometimes the game can be good or bad, but we always have to try our best. I had to ensure I got it right,” he said.
He finished 30th overall at WESPAC, emerging the second-best Kenyan, a result he described as both humbling and inspiring, especially as he returned to play his first tournament on home soil after the global event.
“Playing at WESPAC gave us, as Team Kenya, crucial lessons on areas we need to improve. Since 1995 when Kenya won the world title, we haven’t managed to reclaim it. We settled for bronze in Accra, which is good, but we must upgrade,” he explained.
“The level of competition out there is extremely high, and some of our strong players did not make it to Ghana due to logistical issues.”
Mwangi also revealed that Scrabble will be included in the school games calendar starting next year, a milestone he believes will transform the sport’s future in Kenya.
“Next year, schools will begin playing Scrabble, and in the next three to four years, we expect top-notch players emerging from various competitions.”
He lauded the growing crop of young, talented players who have shown exceptional promise and are pushing the competitive bar higher.
“Winning today was good, but I still need to improve. Young players like Philip Mutinda, Ian Oyoo—the Ol Kalou winner—and Richard Okechi are coming up very fast. I need to enrich my vocabularies. Even in my last game, I played Raphael Oduor, who finished fourth. I really need to work on my word bank,” he added.
Top ten finishers
- Willy Mwangi
- Gitonga Nderitu
- Bernard Koyyoko
- Raphael Oduor
- Michale Gongolo
- Cecilia Ruto
- Bernard Amuke
- Patrick Litunya
- Joshua Ogola
- Manase Otieno