KCB Volleyball women’s team will defend their Kipchumba Karori International Volleyball Tournament title when the competition serves off this weekend, December 19–22, in Eldoret.
The bankers aim to extend their dominance on the regional volleyball stage in a tournament expected to attract top clubs from Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan, underscoring its growing stature within East Africa.
KCB are the defending champions after beating Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) 3–1 (27–25, 25–16, 18–25, 25–18) in last year’s final to clinch the title for a third consecutive year.
Now in its second edition, the tournament has drawn more than 170 teams across various categories, including four from Uganda and two from South Sudan. The champions will pocket Sh1 million in prize money, with runners-up set to earn Sh500,000 and third-placed teams Sh300,000.
KCB Volleyball Team technical director and tournament patron Paul Bitok said the competition continues to grow in quality and competitiveness. “We are heading into a tough tournament this weekend, which continues to attract more entries compared to previous years. We are optimistic and look forward to a successful competition,” said Bitok.
The bankers head into the Eldoret event following mixed results in the opening leg of the 2025/26 Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) League, held last weekend at Nyayo Stadium. KCB lost 3–2 to Kenya Prisons on Friday despite taking the opening set 25–18.
Kenya Prisons claimed the second and third sets 26–24 and 25–20 before KCB forced a decider with a 25–16 win in the fourth set. Kenya Prisons edged the final set 15–13. However, KCB bounced back strongly on Sunday with a straight-sets 3–0 win over Nairobi Prisons, taking the match 25–14, 25–23 and 25–13 to register their first league victory of the season.
Head coach Japheth Munala said the team was encouraged by the response following the opening loss. “We have started well this season. On Friday, we made a strong start but faced a tough challenge from Kenya Prisons. On Sunday, the ladies showed great character and won all the sets. This response is encouraging, and we hope to maintain the momentum as we go to defend the title in Eldoret,” said Munala.
