Kenyan trio eye vacant girls' East Africa volleyball throne

Kenyan players cheer at the start of last year’s East Africa Games. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

For the first time in years, the Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) games that begin tomorrow in Morogoro, Tanzania, will miss its most dominant powerhouse Kwanthanze Mixed Senior School.

This follows their shock fourth-place finish at a bruising national championship that left not just the Kenyan, but the East African girls volleyball hierarchy radically altered.

Kwanthanze’s absence paves the way for a fierce new succession battle as the spotlight shifts to 2024 East Africa winners Kesogon Mixed Senior School, who are now the national queens following their outstanding display.

Kesogon, Soweto Academy and bronze medallists St Martha’s Mwitoti now carry the crushing weight of expectations and a unified mission to ensure that the prestigious regional title remains firmly on Kenyan soil. Kesogon enters the championship as the nominal favourites among the trio, having already tasted the sweetness of East African glory.

However, they will face immense pressure from their local rivals as well as 2015 regional champions GS Indagaburezi of Rwanda, who return to the big stage with years of insatiable hunger for glory to satisfy.

Soweto, who lost to Kesogon in the national Term Two games final, will bank on the killer-blocks that anchored them to a second-place finish.

Mwitoti, who dismantled Kwanthanze, will bring a gritty high-tempo style of play coupled with their sheer tactical discipline and unbreakable team chemistry. Soweto captain Ida Amela said they have worked on areas that were not clicking at the nationals and they will stage an improved performance.

“It’s a learning process for us, and we have kept improving after every stage of the competition. We identified our mistakes at the nationals and our coach has helped us correct them and I believe that we will play better in Morogoro,” Amela said.

Kesogon Girls School and Soweto Academy compete for the national girls’ volleyball title at M-Pesa Foundation, in Thika. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kesogon will start their quest in Group A, which also has GS Indagaburezi, Mengele and Lumala from Tanzania as well as Uganda’s Seroma Christian High School. Soweto and Mwitoti will battle for semi-finals slots in Group B against Bukedea Comprehensive and Katikamu SDA from Uganda and home team Mwanhunzi.

Captain Mary Cherotich said that their aim is to crown 2026 with a second East Africa gong.

“We want to end our season well and we are determined to reclaim our title. Last year we won silver and lifting the trophy will be proof that we have been doing the right thing in training.”

Just like the volleyball courts will be without Kwanthanze, the boys’ basketball contest will be without East Africa’s most successful side Laiser Hill Academy, who finished third at the nationals.

Even so, national champions Friends School Kamusinga and Lukenya Boys Senior School will fly the Kenyan flag high.

Kamusinga, who won the 2024 basketball 3X3 title, will be hoping to get it right in the full-court combat. National most valuable player (MVP) Shadrack Morara, who was also the 2024 East Africa MVP in the half-court contest, will be looking to anchor his side to victory.

Kamusinga are in Group B together with 2024 champions Amus College from Uganda, and the Tanzanian duo of regional regulars Juhudi and St Jude. Lukenya Stallions, who will be making their second appearance, are in Group A where they face a daunting task against defending champions ITS Kigali from Rwanda, last year’s semi-finalists St Cyprian High School Kyabakadde and St Michael High School from Uganda and homeboys Nsumba.