Football and volleyball stars flying the Kenyan flag high in Africa
By Luke Oluoch, May 17, 2025Kenya is renowned for its prowess in athletics, with its field and track stars continuing to dominate the world stages. However, beyond the discipline, the country has silently exported more talents, with footballers and volleyball icons now increasingly joining the professional ranks across Africa and beyond.
From the volleyball players making a name for the country with frightening spikes in the foreign courts of Rwanda to Harambee Starlets strikers defying odds in the competitive leagues in North Africa, Kenya prides itself as a hub of talent.
People Sports details half a dozen of the most outstanding stars whose significant exploits place the nation as a force to reckon with in sports.
Janet Moraa
The former Vihiga Queen striker had a successful season in the Egyptian league, bagging 27 goals in 25 league matches to help the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) achieve fifth spot in the season.
The achievement placed the former versatile Starlets ace as the second best in the goal-scoring charts, just a solitary goal behind the league’s leading top scorer.
Having joined the club in September of 2024, Moraa wasted no time in finding her scoring boots and making her mark in North Africa.
In the national team setup, Moraa retains her edge as one of the pillars of coach Beldine Odemba’s side, thanks to her experience and versatility.
She ranks among the four remnants from Kenya’s WAFCON Team of 2016 alongside skipper Dorcas Shikobe, Corazon Aquino of Simba Queens, and custodian Lilian Awuor.
Violet Nanjala
The 2025 season has arguably been the best season yet for the Kenyan goal poacher plying her trade in Morocco’s top-flight.
Nanjala’s rich vein of goal-scoring form with Municipal de Laayoune Football earned her the league’s golden boot following a season of high return of 28 goals and 14 assists.
The major highlight of hers was an incredible seven-goal feat in the league finale that moved her head and shoulders clear in the race for the Golden Boot.
Her closest challenger, Yolanda Gnammi of Cameroon, trailed the Kenyan by eight goals.
In total, the Archbishop Njenga Girls High School alumna has tallied 71 goals since joining the North Africa league in the 2022/23 season.
Shikangwa Jentrix
The Harambee Starlets forward has been the talk of the town in the Tanzania league, a league that has recently seen an influx of football talent from the Kenyan women’s top-flight league (KWPL).
Shikangwa has been an integral part of Simba Queens’ chase for the 2025 Tanzania Women Premier League honours and is also in contention for the golden boot gong.
Just as her friend and former teammate, Nanjala Shikangwa, has maintained her cutting edge in front of goal after ending a troubling short stint in China to join the Msimbazi outfit.
The left-footed attacker’s 22-goal feat in the league ranks as the second-best and is closing in on JKT Queens’ lead scorer, Stumai Abdalla.
She has managed four hat-trick for Simba queens plying alongisde her compatriots such as Corazon Aquino, defender Ruth Ingosi, winger Elizabeth Wambui, and goalkeeper Carolyne Rufaa.
Denis Esokon
The Rwanda-based Kenya Volleyball was crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) as the curtain fell on the Rwanda National Volleyball League on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Esokon, who features for the Rwanda Patriotic Army (APR) under the tutelage of compatriot Sammy Mulinge, anchored the team to an enthralling final victory over Police Volleyball Club.
The success followed after the APR hitter was recognised among the best eight players in the 46th edition of the Men’s African Volleyball Championship in Misurata, Libya, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. The former Kenya Volleyball League MVP was the sole representative of an East African team in the 8-man ultimate squad dominated by North African teams.
Meldine Sande
The Rwanda-based volleyball queen now with Rwanda Police VC ranks as another who has taken the sports scene in Rwanda by storm.
Sande inspired Police to the 2025 Rwanda National Volleyball League as Police women’s team downed APR to avenge the men’s loss to the paramilitary side.
The Police No. 8 took home the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the best attacker of the season for her standout campaign.
Sande’s team mounted a stunning comeback to edge APR VC 3-1 in sets of 25-23, 20-25, 25-23, and 25-22 to clinch the Sunday, May 11, 2025, finals.
Elphas Makuto
Also earning his mention is Makuto Elphas of the National Police.
Despite the dominant display in his maiden season, which saw Police fall to APR in the ultimate honours in the Men’s Volleyball Finals, Makuto has been a standout performer since ending his Kenyan sojourn for a professional stint in Rwanda.
The star joined the aforementioned couple in concluding the season in Rwanda with awards.