Gor Mahia head to Kigali for CECAFA campaign

The Kenyan Premier League defending champions Gor Mahia celebrate after winning the 2026 season. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The Kenyan Premier League defending champions Gor Mahia have departed for Kigali, Rwanda, for a crucial pre-season tour that will see them face Rwandan giants Rayon Sport in an international friendly before launching their campaign in the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup.

The Kenyan champions left Nairobi on Thursday in two batches after logistical challenges prevented the entire delegation from travelling on a single flight. The travelling party comprises 42 members, including 29 players, as the club steps up preparations for the new football season.

Team manager Philemon Otieno said the split travel arrangements were necessitated by limited airline capacity but assured supporters that the squad would regroup in Kigali ahead of Saturday's highly anticipated friendly against Rayon Sport.

"We are traveling in two groups today, one leaving in the morning and the next in the evening ahead of the Rayon Day match on Saturday," Otieno said.

"After that, we will continue with our preparations in Rwanda for the CECAFA tournament."

The friendly match forms part of Rayon Day celebrations, an annual event organised by the Rwandan club to unveil its squad ahead of the new season. It is expected to attract thousands of supporters and provide both teams with a competitive test before their respective domestic campaigns begin.

For Gor Mahia's new head coach, Akonor, the East African tour offers the first major opportunity to assess his squad in competitive action since taking charge.

The Ghanaian tactician is expected to use both the Rayon Sport fixture and the regional tournament to evaluate new signings, strengthen team chemistry and fine-tune tactics ahead of the Kenyan Premier League season, which kicks off in August.

The club will then shift focus to the CECAFA Kagame Cup, scheduled to run from July 24 to August 7 in Rwanda. The tournament brings together some of the strongest clubs from the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region and has traditionally served as an important pre-season competition.

Gor Mahia have been drawn in a challenging Group A alongside Rwandan champions APR FC, Uganda's Vipers SC and Djibouti's Garde Républicaine, setting up a series of high-profile encounters against some of the region's top clubs.

Founded in 1968, Gor Mahia remain Kenya's most successful football club, having won a record number of league titles and several domestic cup competitions. The club also made history in 1987 by winning the African Cup Winners' Cup, becoming the only Kenyan side to lift a major continental trophy.

Last season, K'Ogalo reclaimed the Kenyan Premier League title after a consistent campaign that saw them finish ahead of their rivals, securing another league crown and earning the opportunity to represent Kenya in regional and continental competitions.

The Kigali tour is therefore viewed as an important step in maintaining the momentum built during the championship-winning season while preparing the team for fresh domestic and international challenges.

The combination of a high-profile friendly and competitive CECAFA matches will give the technical bench a clearer picture of the squad's strengths before the league season begins.

Upon arrival in Kigali, the team is expected to begin training immediately as preparations intensify for Saturday's clash against Rayon Sport.