JUNIOR GOLF
struggling to make ends meet is
on the verge of stardom. Her path
to the top has not been easy. It all
started about 10 years ago when
she joined Rose Naliaka’s stable in a
group of more than 30 girls drawn
from underprivileged girls from the
Ngong road neighbourhood. But
even her admission to the team was
not smooth!
“I vividly remember when pro Rose
Naliaka came to Jamhuri and she
was mostly interested in tall girls.
Being so tiny I stood no chance
of being noticed. So after the girls
were selected they started attending
training sessions. One Saturday, I
decided to follow them to observe
what they were doing. This is after
I heard some narrating interesting
stories about this strange sport
though not all of them seemed to be
in to it. What caught my attention
most was the revelation that after
training, the players were given lunch
and even clothes by Naliaka,” Serah
opens up.
It’s this curiosity that would change
Serah’s life. “On the sidelines of the
training at the Golf Park range, I just
started hitting golf balls randomly.
Touched by desire to be part of the
team Pro Naliaka developed interest
in me and allowed me to join the rest
of the girls,” Serah reminisces.
Serah has been awarded
a full scholarship that will
see her study at Raritan
Valley Community college
while at the same time
play on the competitive US
college golf circuit.
Though young and inexperienced
in life struggles, Serah saw the new
sport as an opportunity to run away
from poverty. Her biggest hurdle was
now to sell this new-found dream to
her mother. “I remember my mother
had some doubts since I would leave
home early every Saturday morning
and come back at 3 pm. She did
not like the idea till when she finally
met coach Naliaka that’s when she
reluctantly approved my being part
of the team. And with that level
of support surely I couldn’t ask for
more. I knew what I need to do; put
my best foot forward,” Serah recalls.
From then on, its was time to make it
through the sport. Serah took up the
sport so seriously that within a very
short time she announced her arrival
on the junior golf scene winning age
category events. She went on to
represent Kenya in several events
the highlight being last year’s the
AACT championship in Accra Ghana.
Her journey to eminence has been
stellar. She has won many ladies
tournaments including Kabete Ladies
open (2015), Sigona Ladies Open
(2018 and 2019), Royal Ladies Open
and Muthaiga Ladies Open.
Playing off handicap three, the long
hitting Serah is currently ranked
among the top female golfers in
the country. It’s this excellence that
saw Royal Nairobi Golf Club grant
her full club membership which she
says greatly changed her life. While
at the club, she has benefitted from
mentorship and readily singles out
Kethi Kilonzo, Nancy Ikinu and Lucy
Kisia among the ladies that have
chaperoned and impacted her life.
Pro Naliaka is optimistic that Africa
Golf Programme (formerly Rose
Naliaka Foundation) will unlock
more scholarship opportunities for
deserving girls. Currently, African
Golf Programme is collaborating
with The First Tee, a USA based
international youth development
organization, which is funding Serah’s
scholarship.