Kenya women’s national volleyball team. The Kenya women’s national volleyball team, known as the Malkia Strikers, is a dominant force in African volleyball, consistently showcasing their prowess in international competitions. Established as the continent’s leading team since the 1990s, they have clinched the Women’s African Volleyball Championship title a record ten times. Their competitive spirit and skill have earned them a place in the Olympics three times: in 2000, 2004, and the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Beyond indoor volleyball, Kenya also has a beach volleyball team, which uniquely represented the nation as the only women’s team at the Tokyo Olympics. However, their sitting volleyball team did not qualify for the Tokyo Games.
Historical Journey
Women’s volleyball gained inclusion in the All-Africa Games in 1978, though Kenya did not participate until 1991. That year marked Kenya’s significant debut, where they secured first place in Algiers, Algeria, and further established their dominance by winning the 1991 Women’s African Volleyball Championship in Cairo against seven other teams.
The early 2000s saw the rise of Violet Barasa, who captained the national team to the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, where they finished in eleventh place both times. In 2006, under the guidance of Japanese coach Sadatoshi Sugawara, assisted by Paul Bitok, the team competed in the FIVB World Championships in Japan. Despite lacking professional players, as most were students or Japan-based players, they demonstrated their potential on a global stage.
The following year, coached by Sammy Kirongo, Kenya secured its seventh Women’s African Volleyball Championship title in Nairobi, defeating Algeria. Key players included Brackcides Agala, Janet Wanja, Dorcas Ndasaba, and Catherine Wanjiru. Remarkable performances were noted from Mildred Odwako as the “best digger,” Janet Wanja as the “best setter,” and Dorcas Ndasaba, who was named “best player” for securing the final point in straight sets.
However, the team faced setbacks in the subsequent years, failing to qualify for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics due to defeats by Algeria. In 2015, with Brackcides Agala as captain and Janet Wanja as her deputy, the team boycotted the 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix in Canberra after a series of victories due to unpaid dues promised by the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF). This protest was successful, leading to a victory against Peru. Despite this, the KVF excluded Khadambi and Wanja from the 2016 Olympics qualifying matches, resulting in another failed qualification attempt.
Recent Achievements and the 2020 Olympics
In 2020, under the new head coach Paul Bitok, Kenya’s women’s volleyball team reclaimed their dominance by winning the gold medal at the African Games and securing qualification for the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics, marking their return to the event after 16 years. The team qualified by winning the pool round with three match points at the African Olympic Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The selected players for the Tokyo Olympics were announced on June 26, 2021. The squad included veteran Mercy Moim as captain and Jane Wacu, but notable players like Violet Makuto and Elizabeth Wanyama were not included. Brackcides Agala, Kenya’s “Most Valued Player,” was part of the beach volleyball team. Six Brazilian coaches provided additional training in Kenya, and further preparation took place in Nairobi under Brazilian coach Luizomar de Moura. In Tokyo, Kenya competed against teams from Japan, Serbia, Brazil, Korea, and the Dominican Republic.
To minimize COVID-19 risks, the team traveled to Tokyo in three batches. Mercy Moim was honored as one of Kenya’s flagbearers at the Olympics opening ceremony, the second woman to receive this honor after archer Shazad Anwar in 2016. The team’s first match was on July 25, 2021, against Japan, coached by Luizomar de Moura instead of Paul Bitok. Unfortunately, Kenya lost this match in straight sets.
Current Squad and Performance
The 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship roster for Kenya included:
- Head Coach: Luizomar de Moura (Brazil)
- Veronica Kilabat (S)
- Veronica Oluoch (OH)
- Violet Makuto (O)
- Sharon Chepchumba (O)
- Belinda Barasa (MB)
- Emmaculate Nekesa (S)
- Noel Murambi (OH)
- Gladys Ekaru (MB)
- Yvonne Wavinya (L)
- Mercy Moim (OH)
- Lorine Chebet (MB)
- Agripina Kundu (L)
- Edith Mukuvilani (MB)
- Sande Meldinah Nemali (OH)
Performance in International Competitions
Olympic Games
- 2000 — 11th place
- 2004 — 11th place
- 2020 — 12th place
- 2024 — Qualified
World Championship
- 1994 — 13th place
- 1998 — 13th place
- 2002 — 21st place
- 2006 — 21st place
- 2010 — 21st place
- 2018 — 20th place
- 2022 — 19th place
- 2025 — Qualified
World Cup
- 2019 — 11th place
FIVB World Grand Prix
- Various participations with notable performances
Women’s African Volleyball Championship
- 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2023 — Gold medalists
- 2003, 2017, 2019, 2021 — Silver medalists
Beach Volleyball and Sitting Volleyball Teams
Kenya’s women’s beach volleyball team, which included Yvonne Wavinya, Brackcides Agala, Phosca Kasisi, and Gaudencia Makokha, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by winning the African Continental Cup Finals in Morocco in 2021. Competing in pool D, they faced teams from Brazil, the US, and Latvia. The team trained in Mombasa before heading to Tokyo.
Kenya’s sitting volleyball team did not qualify for the Paralympics, having lost to Rwanda in the qualifiers held in Kigali in September 2019.
Conclusion
The Kenya women’s national volleyball team, the Malkia Strikers, remains a formidable force in African volleyball. With a rich history of dominance, significant achievements, and continuous development, they represent the pinnacle of the sport in Kenya and remain a source of national pride. As they prepare for future competitions, including the upcoming Olympics and World Championships, the team’s dedication and resilience continue to inspire and elevate the status of Kenyan volleyball on the global stage.
| All-Africa Games | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 1991 Cairo | Team Competition |
| 1995 Harare | Team Competition |
| 1999 Johannesburg | Team Competition |
| 2015 Brazzaville | Team Competition |
| 2019 Rabat | Team Competition |
 | 1987 Nairobi | Team Competition |
 | 2003 Abuja | Team Competition |
| 2007 Algiers | Team Competition |
| 2011 Maputo | Team Competition |
| African Championship | ||
| 1991 Cairo | Team Competition |
| 1993 Lagos | Team Competition |
| 1995 Nairobi | Team Competition |
| 1997 Cairo | Team Competition |
| 2005 Lagos | Team Competition |
| 2007 Nairobi | Team Competition |
| 2011 Nairobi | Team Competition |
| 2013 Nairobi | Team Competition |
| 2015 Nairobi | Team Competition |
| 2023 Yaoundé | Team Competition |
| 2003 Nairobi | Team Competition |
| 2017 Yaoundé | Team Competition |
| 2019 Cairo | Team Competition |
| 2021 Kigali | Team Competition |
