The Governor Anne Waiguru Minji Minji Football Cup Season II has officially commenced, bringing together 180 teams in a high-stakes county tournament that will see the winning team walk away with Sh1.5 million.

The competition, launched at Kamiigua Polytechnic Grounds, aims to not only promote sports but also steer young people away from drug and alcohol abuse under the theme ‘Fomu ni Futaa Badala ya Kamnyweso’ (The Plan is Football Instead of Alcohol).

A total of 4,500 youth from 160 men’s teams and 20 women’s teams, drawn from all 20 wards in the county, will be participating.

Waiguru said the tournament would serve as a platform to identify and nurture football talent while also helping young players turn their skills into a source of income.

She outlined the tournament's structure, stating that teams would first compete at the ward level, with the best two teams progressing to the sub-county level.

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From there, the top five male and female teams will qualify for the county-level finals.

At the county stage, the winning men’s team will be awarded Sh1.5 million, while the runners-up will receive Sh1 million.

The third-placed team will earn Sh750,000, and the fourth will take home Sh500,000. Additional cash prizes ranging from Sh10,000 to Sh40,000 will be awarded at the sub-county level.

Waiguru also revealed that top players from the tournament would be scouted to form a team that would represent Kirinyaga in major competitions, including the Kenya Youth Inter-county Sports Association (KYISA) games.

"From the previous Minji Minji tournament, I am glad to report that some youths scouted at the wards were able to join Kirinyaga Stars and now playing at the FKF regional tournaments," Waiguru said.

"The initiative thus exposes them to moving upwards to bigger leagues."

She further noted that the county government has continued to support local football, providing sports kits, rehabilitating playing grounds, and organising ward-based tournaments.

She urged young people to remain focused and avoid destructive habits such as drug and alcohol abuse.

To boost sports development, the governor announced that five acres of land at the Sagana Industrial Park had been allocated for the construction of football and volleyball pitches.

She also directed a formal handover of Wang’uru Stadium to allow the County Government to manage it for the benefit of Kirinyaga residents.

The launch event was attended by MCAs, county executives, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) officials, and players from the participating teams.