The volleyball fraternity in Kenya has been rocked by grief following the passing on of seasoned volleyball honcho Waithaka Kioni.
The late Kioni was a towering figure in the world of sports, particularly in volleyball where his impact was significantly felt.
Until his death, he was the president of the Kenya Volleyball Federation and 2nd vice-president of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya. In addition, Kioni served as African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) vice president in charge of finance.
According to reports, Kioni, 70, became ill on April 8 and was taken to a hospital in Nairobi, where he succumbed on April 9 at 1 am.
The startling information was eventually brought to light by NOC-K president Paul Tergat in a statement early on Sunday.
Francis Mutuku, the secretary general of the NOC-K, stated in an interview on Monday, that he was utterly devastated and lacked the words to adequately express Kioni’s immeasurable contribution to Kenyan sports.
“Whenever I raised him challenges around conflicts of ideas, issues, and people, Kioni said countless times that people are wired differently,” Mutuku reminisced.
“This medium doesn’t allow sufficient space to fully eulogize him but wisdom, support, confidant, friend, strategist would feature constantly in it,” Mutuku added.
“He might have raised concern on the timing, and mode of communication but he stood up and he showed up when called upon! The walk now on is from memories created.”
The KVF deputy chairman Charles Nyaberi paid tribute to Kioni as a true sports stakeholder who had good intentions for the overall growth of the game in the nation across all divisions.
“The volleyball community, and indirectly other sports, will suffer greatly from this loss. Up until further notice, all sporting events, including the Paul Bitok International Volleyball Tournament, which had advanced to the semifinal round, have been canceled.”
“We lost a leader who was incredibly devoted, committed, and effective, and we are very saddened by this. He has served as many people’s mentor, helped put Kenya on the world map and at the top of Africa, and has helped the nation move up the world rankings.”
Former Malkia Strikers libero Mercy Wesitula lavished praise on Kioni, saying he had worked tirelessly to take the game to new heights.
“He has walked this path and has helped grow volleyball. He has gone to the grassroots to get disadvantaged girls to play the game. He has also mentored leaders who are now walking in his footsteps to put Kenya’s volleyball on the world map,” Wesitula said.
“He is the one who took Kenya to the World Championship for the first time in history, where we made a great impact despite being underdogs. He also took the team to the highest levels in the Olympics.”
Seasoned Malkia Strikers head coach Paul Bitok said he owed his status to Kioni who went out of his way to propel him to the global limelight both as a player and as a coach.
“The late Kioni was a major factor in my decision to take up the Malkia Strikers job in 2019,” Bitok revealed. “In a time of transition, he allowed me to train the girls while managing us as players. He also gave me a lot of responsibilities with the FIVB and the CAVB.”
“It is a sad moment for me in particular because this news came when we were in the middle of my tournament which Kioni supported wholeheartedly,” he added.
According to Bitok, Kioni attended the tournament only recently and said goodbye to the volleyball fraternity in anticipation of his retirement. Elections for the KVF are scheduled to take place in the next two weeks after being repeatedly postponed last year.
“Since the elections are just around the corner, the late Kioni came and bade farewell to the volleyball fraternity because he knew he would be retiring in two weeks,” Bitok said.
“He was supposed to supervise the handover of power and the KVF elections, but unfortunately he has left without handing over the key.”
Bitok added that their preparations for the July Challenge Cup in France have been thrown into disarray as a result of Kioni’s passing.
He stated that the late KVF supremo had discussions with the FIVB about supporting Malkia Strikers in the tournament. Mercy Moim, the captain of the Malkia Strikers, shed tears as she recalled how Kioni supported her after she lost her mother in 2013.
“I’m still in utter disbelief. A father, mentor, and legend is no longer with us. He has been mentoring me for almost 17 years now,” Moim said.
“I would always reach out to him during my dark moments because he was approachable and quite understanding. He gave me a shoulder to lean on when my mother passed away. I had plans to thank him in a big and special way,” Moim added.
In a sombre statement on Monday, the world volleyball governing body said Kioni was passionately devoted to the development of volleyball in Kenya.
“Kioni was a highly respected and visionary member of the African Volleyball Family. He worked tirelessly and passionately to develop volleyball and beach volleyball in Kenya and across Africa,” the statement read in part.
“Kioni was a pioneer of the FIVB’s Volleyball Empowerment program, with the Kenya national women’s volleyball team, having been selected for a pilot project ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kenya’s impressive results led to the team receiving ongoing support ahead of the FIVB Women’s World Championship and beyond.”
“The FIVB joins the CAVB, KVF, and global volleyball family in extending its deepest condolences to the late Kioni’s family and friends at this time of great sorrow.” Kioni is the founder of the Kenya Pipeline volleyball team that has dominated both local and continent volleyball.
Kioni has, undoubtedly, cut a niche for himself in Kenya’s Hall of Fame, having left an enduring legacy in the sport he was so much passionate about.
The former journalist turned sports administrator worked at the Standard Media Group between 1978 and 1979.
He graduated with a degree in Public Administration from the University of Nairobi and effectively applied his knowledge to foster and inspire an awesome generation of world-beaters.
Among Kioni’s greatest accomplishments are Malkia Strikers’ four African Women’s Cup of Nations titles, four gold medals from the African Games, and their historic victory in Group 3 of the FIVB Grand Prix in 2015.
Last year, KCB outplayed Egypt’s Al Ahly 3-1 in Tunisia to halt a decade-long North African dominance at the continental showpiece. The last Kenyan side to clinch the coveted silverware was Prisons in 2013.
Kioni is also credited with coining the national women’s team’s nickname Malkia Strikers. The team’s meteoric rise to a global phenomenon kicked off in 2014 when Kioni secured a lucrative Sh42 million sponsorship from National Oil. Kioni was appointed Team Kenya’s chef de mission for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
He is also credited for transforming beach volleyball in the country. Brackcides Agala and Gaudencia Makokha, a beach volleyball duo from Kenya, made their Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020.
Later, the team earned a spot in the FIVB World Championships 2022, Kenya’s second appearance at the international event. Kenya was first represented by Makokha and Too at the world championships in Vienna, Austria, in 2017.
