KPA coach Kiki rues leg injury to Wachira

Former Premier League champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) have suffered a major blow after dependable player Ken Wachira fractured his leg.

Wachira suffered the serious injury after he fell awkwardly during a training session with the national team Morans in Nairobi.

The Morans are preparing for the FIBA Afrobasket group qualifying matches to be played in Yaoundé, Cameroon from February 17-21.

Kenya is with Senegal, Angola and Mozambique in Group B and will be searching for a ticket to the 30th edition of the FIBA AfroBasket tournament in Kigali on August 24-September 5. 

KPA’s men coach Sammy Kiki said it is a big blow to his team to have Wachira out of action when the team is preparing for the start of the Premier league set for February 13.

“Wachira who  is regarded as one of the team’s dependable guards will be out action for at least six months and his services will be missed. However, my team will strive to be solid in all departments and be ready for the start of the league,” Kiki said.

He said last week’s victory at the KBF pre-season tournament at Strathmore University was a big boost to the team.

“We won all our pre-season matches against Equity, Amiba and Zetech University, which proved we are strong enough to recapture the title we surrendered to Ulinzi,” said Kiki.

Both KPA men and women won the pre-season tournament.

KPA will open their title quest with a match against newly promoted Kenyatta University’s Pirates same as the women team on February 13.

The coach confirmed the signing of Umoja’s forward Nick Ogol and Thunder’s shooting guard Fidel Muga. Also in the team is Lenox Wanje formerly of Coastal Kings of Mombasa.

“We settled for the third slot in last season’s league and we want to reclaim the title in style. This must start by winning our opening match against the university students to gain confidence of winning the title and represent the country in the Africa Club championships,” Kiki said.

At the same KPA’s women team under coach Anthony Ojukwu have continued training at the Makande Welfare indoor gymnasium in readiness for the league.

“We have taken our training program a notch higher and the girls are responding well to training,” said Ojukwu. The women team has new signings including former Equity Bank’s utility player Rita Alouch and three students Yvonne Atieno, Midinah Muller and Barbra Dianah from Kaya Tiwi School in Kwale County.