Kenya volleyball team Malika Strikers arrive in Miramas, France on July 12, 2024 for their 2024 Paris Olympic Games training camp.
The kits that the Kenyan Olympics team was wearing while travelling to Paris were made from scratch by a Kenyan firm, the Nation has learnt.
In it, you will see hints of a Maasai shuka, a pair of intersecting green lines and a dominant red colour. Patterns on the front of the jacket play out on the sides of the trousers, making an interesting match-up of the country’s black, white, red and green flag colours.
Made of polyester and a bit of spandex, the kit is intended to stretch when the wearer flexes around and to offer comfort in Paris weather.
It took a team of tailors sleepless nights to put together the kits for the team.
Before all this, there were at least three designs that were made, and which did not please everybody, until the final design was agreed upon. Then tests had to be done to ensure the colours do not get mixed up after washing, that the material can absorb sweat, among other parameters.
The firm behind the kit is Home_254, an apparel brand founded by one Job Brian Jura, which earlier this year, made kits used at the Safari Rally.
Home_254 is quickly gaining the attention of Kenyan corporates as far as creating event-themed apparel is concerned. It has worked with Kenya Commercial Bank, Safaricom, and now Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) — among other corporates.
In an interview with Nation.Africa, Jura said the kit encapsulates the desire to be extraordinary.
“You don’t want the whole normal thing or black, red and green — just having the flag on the sleeves or body of the garment then say that you have designed something for Kenya,” said Jura, who is also the CEO of the firm. “You want it to have the cultural side of Kenya, but also to be fashionable.”
Job Brian Jura - Founder and CEO JbeeJura Designz – Home 254 during the interview in Nairobi.
“I can tell you with confidence: all these things have been made from scratch,” he added. “Now, we’re making the same for the Paralympics (team).”
Working on the apparel design was Michelle Nduta, the designer at Home_254. She said in a statement that the inspiration for the kit was drawn from the Maasai shuka.
Kenya Shujaa players Lamec Ambetsa (left) and Samuel Asati wit teammates inside Cfao Mobility Kenya Mercedes Bus on July 8, 2024, when the team departed for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games, from Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
“(It is) widely known to represent our culture and our identity with the colours of the flag,” she said. “Our endgame was to make sure that we have designed an apparel that athletes will feel comfortable and proud in.”
She noted that the design process starts on a computer, using software “so that the process is a bit faster”.
“(Afterwards), we create three to four designs before sitting together as a team and choosing which of the items work best,” she added.
Fabric choice
Ms Eunice Mutisya, the production lead at Home_254, elaborated on the materials used in the same statement.
“We have polyester material with a bit of spandex because that will help the athletes feel comfortable in it. Even when they flex around, it stretches, and it will give them that comfortability. It also will (align with) the weather conditions,” she said.
Jura told Nation.Africa that it has been a busy couple of months since the firm was contracted by KBL, the main sponsor for Team Kenya’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games, to make the kits.
“We are working overtime,” he said. “We never knew we could do such a capacity of work because it is a lot. Then you remember we’re still running our brand, so we have to balance our clients not to suffer. Balancing that was a challenge, because if we do not plan, one will suffer and, you see, our bread and butter is Home_254. We have to work in a way that even after the Olympics, we still are in business.”
Based at Nairobi’s University Way, Home_254 specialises in products like leggings, hoodies, bike shorts, T-shirt dresses, sweatpants, beanies, among others.
“We didn’t (get it right) the first time (with the Olympics kit). There’s been too much back-and-forth. During the design process, for us, we can think ‘this design is gonna be so cool’. Then you present it to the client, they don’t love it. And, you know, here the client is not even majorly KBL; the client is the athlete. If the athlete doesn’t accept it, then it means you have to go back to the drawing board.”
National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) Secretary-General Francis Mutuku said in a statement that the kits had gained acceptance among athletes.
“The positive reception from the athletes speaks volumes about the quality of this kit,” he said.
Jura explained that the travel kit will be seen when athletes are on their commute.
“They wear as they board and alight (the plane), and when they are there (in Paris) and just want to relax,” he said. “Because of the weather, we had to look for fabric that is suitable.”
He added: “Our dream is to one day be able to be the official sponsors for such games.”
According to a post on the Paris Olympics website, the temperatures in the French capital usually range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius between July and August.
KBL managing director Mark Ocitti explained in a statement why they chose Home_254 to do the job.
“Tusker, a proudly Kenyan brand, is dedicated to supporting other Kenyan businesses and showcasing their ability to produce top-quality goods. We entrusted Home_254 with this responsibility, and they have undeniably proven that Kenya possesses the talent and skill to compete with the world’s biggest brands,” he said.
Drumming up support for Kenyan athletes, Jura said: “They are already stars. Let them just make us proud.”
