Kenya’s top sporting moments of 2025
By Luke Oluoch, December 16, 2025From the successful co-hosting of the CHAN 2024 games to the unforgettable moments on the athletics tracks of the Wanda Diamond League, 2025 provided plenty of sporting acumen and experiences as Kenyans showcased their athletics and sporting excellence once more.
Here are People’s Daily Digital‘s top sporting moments that defined the year.
Kenya Police and Bullets’ coronation
In 2025, history was made on the local football scene as Kenya Police FC and their ladies’ counterparts, Police Bullets, were both crowned the men’s and women’s league champions.
Police FC secured the crown on June 15, 2025, with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Shabana FC at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, courtesy of Brian Okoth’s 75th-minute header.
The Kenya Police team broke the stranglehold of Gor Mahia (21 titles) and Tusker FC (13) to bag their first league title since promotion in 2021.
Meanwhile, Bullets, under Beldine Odemba, shrugged off tough resistance from Ulinzi Starlets to clinch the women’s title.
The feat was historic, as it marked the first time in top-flight history that both the men’s and women’s titles were won by the same franchise in the same season.
The top football highlight in Kenya was, however, the successful co-hosting of the 2024 African Nations Championship in August 2025.
2024 CHAN euphoria
The continental bonanza was co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the first time the tournament was shared by three nations, and provided a breathtaking moment of football unity and fanfare across East African nations.
Kenya’s Harambee Stars, under Benni McCarthy, defied expectations by topping a tough Group A and reaching the quarterfinals before being eliminated by eventual finalists Madagascar.
The competition honours went to Morocco, who pipped Madagascar to the ultimate crown at Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
On a positive note, the biennial games opened doors to professional career opportunities for up to five Kenyan players, with Ryan Ogam’s big-money move to Austria topping the list.
The ladies team also claimed a history of its won after snapping a decade-long absence to qualify for the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The Harambee Starlets beat The Gambia 4-2 in aggregate to seal the feat.
Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet’s record-breaking feats
The year also witnessed Kenya’s dominance on the athletics scene, with the female duo of Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet dominating the world stage.
Kipyegon, a five-time Diamond League champion, broke the 1500 m world record at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene with 3:48.68—the third time she had done so in consecutive seasons.
The Kenyan middle-distance queen also clinched her fourth world title over the metric mile at the World Championships in Tokyo, adding to her previous triumphs.
Her close friend Chebet hogged the headlines as well, smashing the 5000 m world record in style in Eugene to become the first woman ever to go under 14 minutes. Chebet also dominated the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, with a double gold haul in the 5,000 m and 10,000 m races.
Kenya’s clean sweep of distance events
Overall, Kenya etched its name in history by becoming the first country to win all distance events at the 2025 World Championships.
Team Kenya secured a historic second-place finish on the medal table with 11 medals—7 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze—trailing only the United States, which claimed 12 golds.
Wanyonyi’s 2025 crème de la crème
Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Sabastian Sawe were Kenya’s standout male athletes for the year, with the former dominating the world scene in the 800m races.
Wanyonyi was crowned World Athletics Male Track Athlete of the Year following a colourful awards gala in Monaco on November 30, 2025.
His long-distance compatriot Sawe, who remained unbeaten in all his marathon races, was named the Out-of-Stadium Male Athlete of the Year to wrap up a dominant year.
Junior Malkia Strikers conquer Africa
The Junior Malkia Strikers (U20 girls) achieved a historic continental breakthrough by winning their maiden CAVB Women’s U20 African Nations Championship in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on August 12, 2025.
Jackline Baarsa’s team defeated hosts Cameroon 3-1 in the final to clinch the title, with Malyne Indachi showcasing unique talent in inspiring the ladies’ team to success.
In school games, volleyball giants Cheptil Boys and Kwanthanze Girls were crowned the new East African champions after wins in the 2025 Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games.
Kwanthanze bagged the title for a record eighth time, as Cheptil Boys also cemented their volleyball prowess.