Kisumu All Stars close in on new coach as promotion push gathers pace

National Super League (NSL) side Kisumu All Stars are in the final stages of appointing a new head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Club chairman Nicholas Ochieng’ confirmed that negotiations with the preferred candidate are almost complete, with an official announcement expected soon.

“We have almost finalised negotiations. Expect the announcement soon,” said Ochieng’, who declined to reveal the identity of the incoming tactician.

The new coach will work alongside Duncan Omondi, who is currently overseeing the team’s pre-season preparations following the departure of former interim coach Geoffrey Omondi earlier this month.

Ochieng’ also revealed that the club plans to strengthen the squad significantly before the new campaign. “We want to sign at least 10 players. We don’t anticipate losing many of those who were with us last season because most of them have already reported for pre-season training,” he said.

While promotion remains the immediate objective, Ochieng’ said the club’s long-term ambition is to restore top-flight football to Kisumu.

“We want to push for promotion, but that is not our ultimate target. We want to return to the FKF Premier League in the 2027/28 season. We want Kisumu to have a team in the top-tier league,” he said.

The chairman also disclosed that the club is set to receive a new team bus from President William Ruto later this month, a development he believes will significantly reduce operational costs.

“Transport takes up almost half of our expenses during a season. Having our own bus will be a huge relief. I want to thank the President for this gesture,” Ochieng’ said.

He attributed the Blue Eagles’ disappointing 2025/26 campaign largely to transport challenges. Kisumu All Stars finished 16th in the NSL standings with 39 points after winning 10 matches, drawing nine and losing 19.

Ochieng’ further urged the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to announce the start date for the new season, saying the uncertainty caused by the ongoing promotion and relegation dispute is disrupting clubs’ preparations.

“We have already started pre-season, but we still don’t know when the league will kick off because of the ongoing legal issues surrounding promotion and relegation. This makes planning very difficult,” he said.