Kenya Prisons opposite hitter Elphas Makuto/ HANDOUT
Returning opposite hitter Elphas Makuto made an immediate impact as Kenya Prisons booked their place in the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) Kenya Cup men's quarter-finals at Nyayo Gymnasium on Saturday.
Fresh from a stint with Rwanda National Police, Makuto inspired Kenya Prisons to a 25-23, 25-20, 25-19 victory over Trailblazers in the Round of 16 and was named Player of the Match.
The win saw the warders join Administration Police of Kenya (APK), who defeated The Beast 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-20), and Chema, who swept Kenya Navy 25-17, 25-17, 25-18, in the quarter-finals.
In the women's quarter-finals, former champions Kenya Pipeline underlined their title ambitions with a dominant 25-10, 25-9, 25-15 victory over A Plus, with Cynthia Chepkemoi earning the Player of the Match award.
Kenya Prisons also cruised into the last four after beating Nairobi Prisons 25-22, 25-10, 25-5, as setter Mackline Okoko scooped the Player of the Match accolade.
Defending champions KCB completed a straight-sets 25-14, 25-13, 25-23 win over Postbank in the Bankers' Derby, with libero Josephine Kataa named Player of the Match.
The closest contest of the day saw DCI survive a spirited Kenya Defence Forces comeback to win 25-19, 25-15, 22-25, 19-25, 15-13. Opposite hitter Mercy Iminza walked away with the Player of the Match award after helping DCI seal the final semi-final berth.
Despite Bunge's exit following a 3-0 defeat to defending men's champions GSU, head coach Gideon Chenje remained upbeat, saying the Kenya Cup had given his newly promoted side valuable exposure ahead of the National League.
"The Kenya Cup has really helped expose our boys and prepare us for the National League. We only trained for two days after earning promotion, but we've learned from the experience and will use the break to prepare well," said Chenje.
The results set up women's semi-finals featuring Kenya Pipeline, Kenya Prisons, KCB and DCI, while Kenya Prisons joined APK, Chema, GSU, KDF and Equity Bank in the men's quarter-finals as the race for the 2026 Kenya Cup title intensifies.
