By John Lawrence
Nairobi, Kenya: Fresh from their continental conquest, the march is on for African volleyball queens of the Kenya Prisons. However, it has not been easy for the team formed in 2006.
Rose Muturi, a deputy commissioner of Prisons, who chairs both the men’s and women’s Kenya Prisons Volleyball teams, attributes their success to hard work and dedication.
“It’s just a matter of hard work and teamwork among all the parties involved, from the technical bench to the players and the prisons management,” she says.
The team’s inception can be traced back to 2006 when Kenya Prisons were to host the East African Prisons Championships in 2006 and Kenya, as a hosting nation, did not have any female team ready by then.
“I thought about the idea of constituting a female side and after consultations with the commissioner, he gave the go-ahead. Together with David Kilundo, we went round the country, talked to some secondary schools and recruited. By May 2006, we had assembled a team that went ahead to win the championships,” Muturi says.
The team has, however, faced many challenges as they seek to conquer the world.
“The government can only do so much and we are not the only sports team in the country. We call on corporates to help us develop volleyball through sponsorships and any other kind of available help,” she says.
In a number of disciplined forces, the sports wing constitutes officers, who are often not involved in the day-to-day operations of the forces.
However, the team does not have ceremonial officers but trained prisons officers who serve in various stations.
“We are trained and qualified prisons officers just like any other officer out there. In fact, when we are not playing, especially during the off-season, we normally serve the nation from our respective stations. That is something that we are truly proud of,” coach David Lung’aho told The Nairobian.
jlopate@standardmedia.co.ke
