The stage is set for another chapter in the history of East African secondary school hockey as action at the 23rd Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games get underway in Morogoro, Tanzania, from 14-22 August with boys’ hockey offering one of the tournament’s most intriguing battles for regional supremacy.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsFor Kenya, the competition presents an opportunity to reclaim a title that has increasingly become contested territory after years of dominance.Kenyan schools have historically set the standard in regional boys’ hockey, with Friends School Kamusinga and St Anthony’s Boys Kitale emerging as the most successful sides in the championship’s history. The two schools have each won the title five times, making them joint record holders. Kamusinga’s dominance came through championships in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019, while St Anthony’s claimed the trophy in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2018.##NAJAVA_MECA_9889542##Their success formed part of a prolonged period of Kenyan dominance, with schools from the country winning every recorded edition between 2007 and 2019. Kisumu Day also joined the list of champions in 2017, showing that the regional title was not exclusively a two-school affair.But the balance of power changed following the disruption of the FEASSSA calendar in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the competition returned, Kakungulu Memorial School of Uganda emerged as the new force in regional boys’ hockey.Kakungulu ended Kenya’s long-standing monopoly by winning the title in 2022 in Arusha, and successfully defended it in 2023 in Huye. The Ugandan school quickly established itself as a serious regional power, forcing Kenya’s traditional giants to respond. Kenya regained the crown in 2024 when Musingu High School won the championship, but the reprieve was short-lived.FEASSSA 2026: Morogoro edition set to usher in new era for East African school sportKakungulu Memorial returned to the summit in 2025 in Kakamega, reclaiming the title and taking its tally to three FEASSSA boys’ hockey championships. That victory means Kakungulu enters Morogoro as the defending champion, carrying the confidence of a side that has demonstrated its ability to win the title both at home and away from Uganda.However, the Ugandans will face a formidable Kenyan challenge from the outset. The 2026 draw has placed Kakungulu Memorial in Group A alongside Friends School Kamusinga, Namilyango College of Uganda and Tanzania’s Arusha Meru.©Alvin WesongaFor Kamusinga, the group provides an immediate opportunity to measure itself against the defending champions. With five titles already in its history, the Kenyan school knows what it takes to navigate the regional stage, but its meeting with Kakungulu will be one of the most anticipated contests of the group phase.Group B will see St Anthony’s Boys face Ugandan sides Mbarara High School and Ntare School, alongside Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa. St Anthony’s arrives with the same five-title pedigree as Kamusinga and will be looking to add another championship to a record that has stood among the best in FEASSSA history.With the two Kenyan record holders placed in different groups, there is also the possibility of another heavyweight meeting later in the competition should both schools progress deep into the tournament.FEASSA: Justus Mugisha officially opens 2026 Games in MorogoroFor the Tanzanian representatives, playing on home soil offers an opportunity to challenge the established order.Arusha Meru and Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School will have to negotiate groups containing some of the region’s most experienced hockey programmes, but the home advantage could provide an important advantage as Tanzania seeks to make a stronger impression in a competition traditionally dominated by Kenya and Uganda.The bigger question, however, remains whether Kenya can wrestle the championship back from Kakungulu Memorial.The numbers underline the scale of the challenge, Kamusinga and St Anthony’s have each won five titles, while Kakungulu has already collected three championships since the competition resumed after the pandemic interruption. Kakungulu's rise has therefore added a new dimension to a rivalry that was once overwhelmingly controlled by Kenyan schools.FEASSSA: Can Kenya’s school football champions end Uganda’s regional dominance in Morogoro?For Kenya, Morogoro represents another opportunity to reassert its authority with Kamusinga and St Anthony’s carrying the weight of history, while Musingu's 2024 triumph demonstrates that the country has more than two schools capable of reaching the summit.For Uganda, Kakungulu Memorial has an opportunity to strengthen its position as the dominant force of the current era, and move within touching distance of the two Kenyan record holders. And for Tanzania, the challenge is to use the home environment to disrupt the established order.