Tanzania will be represented by several established players, including defending champion Ashley Awuor of Kenya, who is expected to return to Arusha seeking to retain the title she won last year
Dar es Salaam. Rwanda’s leading female golfer Sylvie Irakoze and Zambia’s Lornah Kalunga Mwenda are set to add international quality to next month’s Sterling Invitational Golf Tournament at the Kilimanjaro Wildlife and Golf Estate in Arusha.
The three-day tournament, scheduled for September 4 to 6, is expected to bring together 80 golfers from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, with organisers seeking to make the event one of the region’s most competitive amateur golf meetings.
Irakoze arrives in Arusha with an impressive recent record that underlines her status as one of Rwanda’s leading female players. She won the Amateur Ladies’ Division at the 2025 Rwanda Open and was subsequently selected among four Rwandan golfers for a Japan-based development programme aimed at preparing players for the 2028 Olympic Games
Her presence is expected to provide a major test for Tanzania’s leading golfers, particularly those familiar with the demanding Kili Golf course.
Irakoze also demonstrated her competitiveness in regional events last year, when she featured among the leading players at the I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series in Kigali and claimed the women’s longest-drive award.
Kalunga Mwenda, meanwhile, brings considerable experience from Zambia and has established herself as one of the country’s prominent female golfers. Her participation will further strengthen the international character of the tournament and provide another serious challenge to the host players.
The Zambian golfer recently earned a runners-up finish at the Ghana Ladies Open, highlighting the level of form she is expected to bring to Arusha.
Their participation adds another dimension to an event that has steadily grown into an important platform for women’s golf in East Africa.
The tournament, sponsored by Sterling Surfactant Limited and organised by Madina Idd, will be played under the stroke-play format, with players completing 18 holes each day. The main competition will have Championship/Silver and Division B categories, alongside senior men’s and ladies’ events.
The Championship/Silver category will cater for golfers with handicap indexes of five and below, while Division B will accommodate players with handicaps of 5.1 and above.
The ladies’ competition will cover 54 holes, while senior golfers will play 36 holes. Importantly, the tournament has been registered with the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and recognised under the R&A, giving eligible players an opportunity to earn valuable ranking points
Tanzania will be represented by several established players, including defending champion Ashley Awuor of Kenya, who is expected to return to Arusha seeking to retain the title she won last year.
