2026 is a special year for Kenyan volleyball. The men’s national team, Wafalme Stars, head to Uganda in June for the CAVB Zone V qualifiers. The women’s side, Malkia Strikers, host the African Championship on home soil in August. Both teams have their eyes on Los Angeles 2028. And both need all the support they can get.
Kenyans have always loved sports. Football, athletics, rugby – that’s a given. But now more and more people are discovering volleyball. And they’re not just watching. They’re betting. 888starz global is one of the platforms where you can find volleyball and dozens of other sports. But more on that later. First, what’s happening on the court.
Wafalme Stars: 25 Players, One Goal
The Kenya Volleyball Federation named a squad of 25 players for the CAVB Zone V qualifiers. The tournament runs from 1 to 5 June 2026 in Kampala, Uganda. Matches will be played at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
Head coach Gideon Tarus is back with the national team after a break and has wasted no time. Preparations began in late April with a non-residential camp, followed by a final training camp in Kampala.
It’s a mixed squad. There are experienced names: Brian Melly, a setter from Rwanda Police VC. Nicholas Matui, an outside hitter from REG in Rwanda. Stephen Maluki from Prisons Kenya. And there are fresh faces too – eight players have been called up for the first time.
Here’s the full squad:
Wafalme Stars Squad for the CAVB Zone V Qualifiers
The coaching staff is solid too: Elisha Aliwa is the first assistant, Denis Mokua the second, James Ontere is the trainer, and Jeremiah Mukopi handles the stats.
Who’s Playing in Zone V
Seven countries will compete in Kampala:
- Kenya
- Uganda
- Rwanda
- Burundi
- Ethiopia
- South Sudan
- Egypt
They’re all fighting for one ticket to the African Championship. That tournament takes place in September in Kinshasa, DR Congo. From there, the road leads to the 2028 Olympics and the 2027 World Championship.
The competition is fierce. Egypt are traditionally strong. Uganda have home advantage. Rwanda have stepped up their game too.
Why Volleyball, Not Football
I talk to a lot of guys who bet. Everyone’s used to football – the Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga. But volleyball is a different beast.
There’s less randomness. Less influence from officials. If a team is stronger, they win in straight sets. The odds on favourites in men’s volleyball are often better than you’d find in football.
Then there’s the tempo. A match lasts an hour and a half to two hours. The lead changes constantly. A set can flip on a single hit. Watching and betting is pure adrenaline.
And here’s the key – volleyball is being talked about everywhere in Kenya right now. The KVF pushed the men’s league finals to June because of the national team. The women’s league is heating up too: Pipeline are destroying everyone, KCB are right on their heels. Interest is growing fast.
Malkia Strikers: Home Tournament and an Olympic Dream
While the men fight it out in Kampala, the women are preparing for their moment in the spotlight. From 23 August to 5 September 2026, Kenya hosts the women’s African Volleyball Championship at home.
Head coach Geoffrey Omondi has named a provisional squad of 24 players. Experienced stars Esther Mutinda and Anne Lowem have returned. The list also includes young talent like Veronica Adhiambo and Meldina Sande, captains of the junior national team who have already played in Greece and Rwanda.
The prize money for the tournament hasn’t been announced yet. But the real prize isn’t cash. It’s a ticket to the 2027 World Championship and a direct path to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya has already granted the Malkia Strikers a $50,000 scholarship for preparations. NOC-K President Paul Tergat put it plainly: “Home gold is the shortest route to the Olympics.”
The matches will be played in Nairobi. That’s a huge plus. A home crowd is an extra player. The women know it.
How to Bet on Volleyball
For anyone just getting into volleyball betting, here’s what you need to know.
Markets. The main bets are on the match winner, the exact set score (3-0, 3-1, 3-2), point handicaps, and totals. There are also bets on individual stats: who will serve the most aces, who will make the most blocks.
Where to watch. Platforms like 888starz app give you access to volleyball tournaments worldwide – from African qualifiers to European leagues and the Olympics. You can follow matches in real time and react to what’s happening straight away.
How to analyse. Volleyball has its own key metrics. Serve efficiency. Attack percentage. Number of blocks. Home court. All of these affect the outcome just as much as head-to-head records.
