Greatness in the works: Omondi outlines desire to transform Kenya Pip…

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 2, 2026 – Amid a domestic double, Kenya Pipeline head coach Geoffrey Omondi is not yet satisfied.

His hunger and desire are now directed at the Africa Club Championships gong, which he has come so close, yet so far to winning for the oil merchants. truewildgame.online

“I thank God because since I came here he has shown me a lot of success, having won the league twice back to back and won the Kenya Cup also and won the Kipchumba Karori tournament, Rwanda Genocide tournament. Those are the best results we have achieved so far. We are still working towards achieving the Africa Club Championships that has been a challenge for me for the last two years that I’ve been here,” the tactician says.

Kenya Pipeline last won the continental crown in 2005 – their sixth title in history – and since then, have endured a dry spell spanning 21 years.

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In their latest appearance, at this year’s edition in Cairo, the team had to be content with a third-place finish, beating Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles 3-1 in the bronze medal match.

Earlier, they had fallen at the hands of fellow countrywomen KCB Volleyball who beat them in the semis to put paid to their title chances.

In light of these shortcomings, Pipeline have been hard at work in training to refine the rough edges to their game.

“We need to strengthen our services; as you can see in the background we are working on the services. We need to quicken our speed of attack. We need to also improve and put a lot of effort on our reception although it has not been an issue as such but we need to make it top-notch as always before we go for any competition,” Omondi says.

Immediate success

Before assuming the reins in 2024/25, Omondi was at Trailblazers Volleyball Club who he transformed into a household name and regular contenders for the men’s title.

He took to the women’s game as a duck to water, trumping Kenya Prisons 3-2 in a best-of-three series to win the league title with the oilers.

Pipeline then recovered from a set down to beat KCB 3-2, winning the Kenya Cup in the five-set thriller at the Kasarani Indoor Arena.

Ascending to the apex of Kenyan volleyball is easy but maintaining that dominance is another thing all together.

This is a fact Omondi is all too conscious of and, is leaving nothing to chance to successfully defend both titles in the 2026/27 season.

“You just need to prepare well and to the highest level possible. Don’t prepare with the standards of the country. If you can prepare according to the standards of Africa and the world then when you meet players of teams within the country you will be one level higher,” he explains.

As they take baby steps towards another trophy-laden season, the support of their parent company – Kenya Pipeline Company – cannot be understated.

“The company is our mother and father so they’re taking care of us as their own children. We have massive support from the company; great support in terms of facilities, remuneration and even the welfare. So far so good we’re happy it’s now our time now to give back,” the coach says.

This support has been integral even as the team boost their ranks with experienced signings including the KCB duo of Pauline Chemutai and Faith Cherotich Sakong.

Their addition notwithstanding, Omondi is categorical that their gametime will only be based on merit and effort in training.

“We have so far received four players from other clubs who we are really nurturing and making sure that they’ll be of benefit to this team. We scouted them and we realized they’re talented and can boost our squad in terms of the offense, defense and and even the service. They are players that will add value to us. We’ve reminded them that only merit will give them a chance to be in the court and that’s what we are pushing,” he explains.

Thrill of pressure

Apart from Kenya Pipeline, Omondi is also head coach for the national women’s team, Malkia Strikers, having assumed the reins last year.

He led them to a commendable outing at last year’s World Championships in Thailand where they won one match – beating Vietnam in straight sets in their last match in Pool G.

Last month, he led the team to the finals of the African Championships on home soil before losing to Egypt in straight sets.

The gaffer is relishing the challenge and pressure of coaching both teams, which come with a lot of expectations.

“The good thing with the calendar we adopted and the calendar we’re using now is that the period for the national team is totally for the national team the period for the clubs is also a period for the club. I deal with the club first then I’m able to go to the national team. They are two different assignments because they are two different levels but that’s why I’m a coach,” Omondi says.

He may be starving for a continental title but Omondi and Co are not under any illusion that the race for the battle for league crown is a foregone conclusion.

With perennial rivals KCB and Kenya Prisons lurking in the shadows, Pipeline are not about to give up their domestic double without a ferocious fight.

Successfully defending their three titles of the past season would be the perfect appetiser for Pipeline as they seek to taste glory in Africa.

“Actually, there are three Kenya Cup, the league title and the Kipchumba Karori tournament; that is our aim and goal. That is what we are working towards but this is a sport…anything can happen so we are just ready, we are preparing for the best,” the gaffer says.

With the days ebbing away to the new season, Pipeline fans will be in for a treat as their teams serve up a thriller on court in bid for glory on all fronts.

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 2, 2026 – Kenya has named a formidable three-man squad of motoring prodigies to fly the national flag at the highly anticipated inaugural Pan African Karting Championship in Benguela Province, Angola, from October 10–11.

The historic event, which will be staged at the Santos Pêras Karting Circuit, is being hailed as a major milestone for grassroots motorsport on the continent.

Beyond the high-octane action on the track, the championship will bring together National Sporting Authorities (ASNs), officials, teams, parents, and industry stakeholders to map out technical development and driver training across Africa.

Kenya’s continental quest will be spearheaded by the talented trio of Sean Njumbi, Jesse Murithii, and Myles Angoya Imbayi.

Njumbi will hunt for honors in the Junior Rotax category, while Murithii and Imbayi will lock horns with the continent’s best in the Senior Max division.

Organizer’s have confirmed that this tournament marks the launch of a rotating continental championship circuit.

The team has received significant institutional backing ahead of their departure.

Head of Delegation Norris Ongalo—who also serves as the Event Director of the WRC Safari Rally—expressed his appreciation to national carrier Kenya Airways courtesy of WRC Safari Rally Kenya CEO, Carl Tundo for donating the flight tickets to Angola, and the Motorsports Kenya Federation (MK-F) for their support.

He also thanked the ASN FIA Representative Maina Muturi, who provided Kenyan-branded kits for the team.

“The inaugural Pan African Championship is designed to unite all African countries within the FIA, and those looking to join, to build a robust grassroots karting foundation. While South Africa is currently advanced in the sport, the Karting Africa project—founded by Wesleigh Orr of WORR Motorsport—is partnering with affiliates like Kenya to nurture raw talent effectively. We are committed to leaving no country behind,” Ongalo said.

Echoing his sentiments, Maina Muturi emphasized the global governing body’s focus on youth structures.

“The FIA is deeply committed to building this sport in our region. The future of motorsport lies entirely in youth development. We want to ensure the team has the full backing of the FIA as we transform this into a truly regional championship that actively brings onboard Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda,” Muturi said.

According to the official program released by Karting Africa, international delegations will arrive in Luanda on October 6 for verification and a welcome dinner, where the 2027 Karting Africa Calendar will be officially unveiled.

The teams will move to Benguela via a charter flight on October 7 for technical preparation, kart scrutineering, and free practice.

The official competition drives off on October 10 with qualifying practice and heats, culminating in the main Finals and Closing Ceremony on October 11.

The Angolan extravaganza is jointly supported by Karting Africa, WORR Motorsport, the Federação Angolana de Desportos Motorizados (FADM), and the Government of Angola.

It will feature parent orientations, media training for young drivers, and stakeholder sessions. The 2026 showpiece will see over 40 elite drivers from 15 African nations battle it out for the ultimate continental karting crown.

En République démocratique du Congo, les autorités sanitaires intensifient la lutte contre Ebola, alors que le pays fait face à sa 17e épidémie. Des laboratoires mobiles ont été déployés dans l’Est pour accélérer le dépistage et obtenir les résultats en moins de 24 heures, tandis que les soignants doivent aussi composer avec la défiance et les attaques contre les structures de santé. Le ministre français des Affaires étrangères, Jean-Noël Barrot, est attendu en RDC pour apporter le soutien de la France aux autorités et aux humanitaires.

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 2, 2026 – National Assembly Sports Committee chair Dan Wanyama believes Kenya have broken a world record for building a modern stadium like Talanta Sports in just under four years.

Comparing the 60,000-seater facility to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Wanyama says Kenyans should be proud of what the Kenya Kwanza government have achieved in erecting the towering structure.

“We want to appreciate the works that has been done and that this is actually something that Kenyans should be proud of…that in a record of four years the government has delivered a stadium of a modern state comparing to Emirates of England and any other stadium,” the Webuye West legislator said.

His comments came against the backdrop of recent speculation that the Confederation of African Football (Caf) are considering alternative venues for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) owing to the slothful pace of works in Kenya and Uganda.

However, Wanyama dismissed such speculation as those of naysayers who are not privy to the gigantic steps Kenya has made in its preparations.

“I want to tell the naysayers who have been on the case of Talanta for over time that please come and see for yourself. You will appreciate that there is value for money and that Kenya is ready to host AFCON come 2027. The Ministry of Defence who are the supervisors have given us the assurance that the small things that are remaining, they will be done by 31st of December this year, the stadium will be ready for action,” he said.

Wanyama added: “In fact there is a representative of CAF who is actually within the country that is also going forward to supervise what is going on and is giving a very good record to CAF, making sure that Kenya is on course and will be able to host this after. I thank you.”

Beyond the continental showpiece, Wanyama is hoping that Talanta Stadium will serve generations of Kenyans, proving to be a priceless investment in the long run.

“We are aware of the history of South Africa; after they hosted the World Cup, all the facilities were left on their own and therefore we don’t want to repeat this. The members have given views to the DG Sports Kenya that they must come up with policies and regulations on how to commercialise this facility so that it is maintained well and it continues to serve Kenyans going forward,” he said.

Other than Talanta, the government is renovating the Kasarani Stadium, which will also host some of the Afcon matches in Kenya.

Other venues, such as Nyayo Stadium, Police Sacco Stadium and Ulinzi Sports Complex will be training pitches.

Defence coach Jaque Fourie says the Lions must be switched on for 80 minutes at Ellis Park on Saturday, following last week’s narrow win over the URC champions.

Ivan van Rooyen’s charges head into their round-two clash after edging Leinster 27-26 in Joburg. Erich Cronjé scored twice and Kelly Mpeku added the decisive try as the Pride held on despite a Fintan Gunne hat-trick.

They now face an Ospreys side that opened its campaign with a 41-24 defeat to the Sharks in Durban.

“There’s a lot we had to work on after last Saturday’s game against Leinster,” Fourie told reporters in a press junket ahead of this week’s clash.

“We now have to make sure we start with a clean slate because we know that the Ospreys will provide a different kind of challenge.

“We have prepared well for this match and we are excited about what awaits us this weekend.”

TEAM: Bok boost for Lions

The Lions have been boosted by the return of Springboks Morné van den Berg and Quan Horn. Henco van Wyk is unavailable after suffering a head knock against Leinster.

The Welsh visitors have made several changes, with Liam Wright and Keelan Giles named as co-captains and Dan Edwards returning at flyhalf.

Wright, Harri Deaves and Morgan Morse form the loose-forward combination, while experienced loose forward Ross Moriarty provides cover from the bench.

ICYMI: URC champs copy Rassie

“It doesn’t matter whether we play the Ospreys at home or away, matches against them always provide a difficult challenge,” Fourie added.

“They boast a huge pack and their maul and scrum work is good. We saw that last weekend against the Sharks how they improved in that area of their game.

“Then they are also a team that never gives up. They play for the full 80 minutes, so we will have to be clinical with our execution and make sure we put their defence under a lot of pressure.”

Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images

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