Reasons Why Kenya Must Wake Up To The Esports Boom

For three days last May, eSports enthusiasts gathered at the Sarit Centre in Nairobi to test their mettle in the LG Screen and Sound Festival gaming contest, powered by LG OLED and QNED TVs. Eventually, Adam Mcloude walked away with the LG Soundbar in contention; a modest prize, but whose preceding challenge introduced excitement around the meteoric rise of esports in a global discourse that Kenya is, unfortunately, barely part of.

Esports, or competitive video gaming, was once dismissed as a fringe hobby, but it has grown into a multi-billion-dollar global industry that is now filling arenas, driving tech innovation, and transforming young players into international superstars. The ongoing Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for example, comes with a $70 million (KSh9 billion) prize pool and has the participation of over 200 professional clubs and tournaments across 24 different gaming titles. Streaming in over 35 languages to 140 countries, it is easily one of the largest sports events world and has the backing of global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and features high-profile competitors like chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen.

Such engagement confirms that esports is no longer niche entertainment, and Kenya would do well to find a place in the massively lucrative segment. Indeed, Kenya is full of young, digitally savvy people, and is often cited as a tech and innovation hub, with internet penetration that rivals some of the highest in the world. However, in esports, we have barely scratched the surface. Young players in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu, and elsewhere, are training in dingy cafes and home setups with unstable connections and limited equipment. They are organizing grassroots tournaments without sponsorships or real exposure, and although their passion is undeniable, it just is not enough to introduce them to the global stage.

Sadly, without investment, structure, and national vision, their potential will remain locked away, making this an appeal for the government and private sector, and other spheres of influence to step in. I hope that we will soon recognize esports as a legitimate career path and a growing economic sector, aside from being a tool for youth engagement, digital literacy, and even tourism. Indeed, countries like South Korea, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia have built ecosystems around it. Even within Africa, South Africa and Nigeria are advancing national frameworks to support esports development, and Kenya should not be left behind. For a step-change, policymakers must begin treating esports as a real sport, deserving of regulation, funding, and support. Also critical is recognition from the private sector, which stands to gain from sponsorships, media rights, and content creation, as is recognition from our education system, which could incorporate game design, strategy, and tech innovation into formal learning.

Going forward, we must appreciate that esports has grown to be much more than sitting in a dark room with a controller, and today involves lights, cameras, global audiences, and billion-dollar industries. The question is whether Kenya will wake up to this reality or continue pressing snooze while the rest of the world plays on.

Game on.

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Emmanuel Kiura is the TV Product Manager at LG Electronics East Africa.