The sponsors of the Kenyan Barclays Golf Circuit on Wednesday revealed plans to expand the event across Africa in the near future.

Speaking during the launch of the second edition of the tournament in Nairobi, Barclays Consumer Banking Director, Zahid Mustafa, said the scheduled roll out would have happened this year in 14 African countries the financial firm operates in the continent.

"Our intention this time around was really to take it international but time constraints did not make it possible for it to happen this year. We have already started thinking on this idea that came about in Kenya and take it across Africa," Mustafa said.

"We are working on connecting the golfing fraternity across the Africa," Mustafa added during the launch of the second edition of the domestic series that tees off this weekend at the Limuru Golf Club.

"The headquarters of our Africa operations are in South Africa and the success of the event here has excited Barclays into considering the huge impact of making it a continental event would have.

"Last year, we noted how players taking part in the various rounds improved their handicap besides giving us an opportunity to get closer to our clients and it's a model we would wish to replicate," Mustafa underscored.

Just like last year's inaugural campaign, the circuit will visit 14 golf courses strewn around Kenya and will culminate with the February 22, 2014, grand finale at Nairobi's Karen Golf Club.

The top 20 finalists will gain entry at next year's Barclays Kenya Open Pro-Am competition that is part of the European Challenge Tour round of events.

In Limuru, tournament defending champion, Tanvin Khan, will pit his abilities against more than 100 seasoned golfers with organisers of the event organised through the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) aiming to attract over 3000 up from the 2400 that took part in the inaugural campaign.

Eldoret, Nakuru, Machakos, Nyanza, Thika, Sigona, Nyali, Windsor, Nyeri, Royal Nairobi, Karen Club, Vet Lab and Muthaiga golf clubs will join Limuru in hosting the rounds.

Meanwhile, KGU chairman, Francis Okwaro, announced that the construction of the first public golf course in Kenya would commence soon once the necessary paperwork leaves the offices of the country's Attorney General where they have been taken for approval.

"We want to bring the sport closer to the ordinary citizen by constructing a course that will be open to all. We are looking for land in other parts of the country to build more public courses once the first one is complete," Okwaro added.

The public facility is set for Kasarani, 8km away from the Central Business District of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. Endi

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