Safaricom has unveiled the fifth season of Safaricom Chapa Dimba with a renewed focus on education, early talent development, and structured pathways for young footballers across the country.
The tournament, launched in Kisumu, will now target younger players aged between 15 and 18 years, down from the previous 16–20 age bracket, in a move aimed at identifying and nurturing football talent at an earlier stage.
As part of the new season, Safaricom announced that 150 outstanding players will receive tertiary scholarships through the Citizens of the Future programme, reinforcing the company’s push to blend sports and education.
Speaking during the launch, Peter Ndegwa said the company is investing in holistic youth empowerment through football.
“We are intentionally building pathways that combine sports, education, and technology to empower the next generation. Our goal is not just to develop footballers, but to nurture well-rounded young people who can positively transform their communities and the country,” said Ndegwa.
The telecommunications company has also introduced a new international exposure programme that will see 32 top players selected into an All-Star team to represent Kenya at the prestigious Gothia Cup in Sweden.
Safaricom said the shift from international bootcamps used in previous seasons to participation in a global tournament is intended to provide more competitive exposure for young Kenyan players.
In addition, the company is deepening the use of technology in grassroots football scouting through the deployment of VeO Cameras and MyScout AI devices beginning from the county stages of the competition.
The tools will work alongside AI-powered GPS vests introduced last season to help monitor player movement, positioning, sprint metrics, and overall performance while generating digital player profiles accessible to scouts and clubs globally.
“This season, we are taking technology deeper into grassroots football because we believe no talent should go unnoticed. Through data and digital player profiling, we are creating more structured pathways for young players to access opportunities locally and globally,” added Ndegwa.
The competition will be held across eight regions nationwide and will follow five stages including ward, county, inter-county, regional, and national finals.
Registration for boys’ and girls’ teams is currently open through Safaricom Chapa Dimba.
National champions in both categories will each receive KES 1 million, with additional awards set for county and regional winners as well as individual players recognised as Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, and Best Goalkeeper.
Since its launch in 2017, Chapa Dimba has helped nurture several football talents now playing locally and internationally, including Benson Omalla, Bryton Otieno, Jentrix Shikangwa and Mercy Akoth.