Kenya Prisons’ team is set to lose their first choice setter Kevin Kipkosgei to Kenya Defence Forces ahead of next year’s Kenya volleyball Federation national league.
Kipkosgei was part of the Prisons’ team that finished second behind rivals General Service Unit in the recently concluded KVF play-offs.
Kipkosgei and GSU’s Brian Melly featured for the national team last year during the Africa Nations Cup-cum-World Championship Qualifiers in Cairo, Egypt and the much needed experience to his new side.
A source privy to the move, said KDF have offer Kipkosgei a job and he is in the final stages of clearing with his former employer (Prisons). “It’s true KDF have offered him a job and this must have inspired him to shift camp. It’s not that he wasn’t employed at Prisons’ but maybe the package at KDF is better,” noted the source. Should Kipkosgei move to KDF, the former champions will rely on the experienced Daniel Kiptoo ahead of the next season as they seek to reclaim the title they last won in 2016.
However, at KDF , Kipkosgei will be competing with Elisha Aliwa, Joel Sato and Aggrey Kimeli for the setter’s position ahead of the next season.
Meanwhile, KDF team manager Alfred Ruto remained tight lipped on the new development but applauded the performance of the team after they finished third ahead of regulars Kenya Ports Authority during the play-offs. Ruto observed: “We returned to the play-offs this year having missed the last edition and the players rose up to the occasion. The fact that we won against former champions Kenya Prisons is something to be proud off.”
He added: “We hope to better our performance not only in the league next year but also during the next year’s East Africa Military Games to be staged in Nairobi next year.”