Mathare United Women have described their promotion to the Football Kenya Federation Women’s Premier League (FKF-WPL) as both an honour and a fulfilment of the vision of the club’s founder, the late Bob Munro.
Former Mathare United chairman Bob Munro
Photo credit: File | Samuel Gacharira | Nation Media Group
Fifteen months after his passing, the “Slum Girls” have finally realised his dream of returning to the top-tier league after five years in the National Women’s Super League (NWSL).
“He was a visionary leader who always wanted the best for this team. We only wish he had stayed a little longer. The team deeply misses him, and we aim to continue his legacy with the support of the club’s patron and the CEO,” said Mathare Women head coach Ann Aluoch, a former Kenyan international.
Her sentiments were echoed by team CEO Jecton Obure: “Even before he died, he wanted this team to return to the top flight because we are the engine of Kenyan women’s football.”
Mathare, who won the 2010 FKF-WPL champions, sealed promotion to the FKF-WPL this season with four matches to spare.
They top Zone “A” with 52 points from 19 matches, with three matches to go to the end of the season.
They have won 17 matches, drawn one and lost once, scoring a league-high 36 goals, while conceding a league-low three.
Their closest rivals, Gor Mahia Queens, trail by 14 points.
“The current leadership has carried on Munro’s work, and we believe he left the vision in the right hands,” added Aluoch, who is also a former player of the club.
The team’s success this season has been driven by determination and consistency from the opening match of the season.
“It was a huge motivation for the girls. Their consistency from the word go in every match made the difference,” noted Aluoch.
The team credited strong backing from management despite the challenges facing women’s football in the country.
However, the team faced difficulties accessing apt training grounds.
Their home ground at MYSA in Komarock has been in poor condition, forcing them to seek alternative venues for training.
“What worked for us this season is that we identified the loopholes from the last three seasons and addressed them. We started preparations early and strengthened the areas we felt needed improvement,” she said.
The team reinforced goalkeeping and striking with the signing of Valentine Khwaka from Bandari Queens. Khwaka previously featured for FKF-WPL champions Kenya Police Bullets.
The club brought in strikers Silvia Otieno from Sunderland Women FC in the NWSL and unattached youngster Mitchell Waithera, a Kenya Under-17 international.
Captain Judith Atieno, formerly of Rwanda’s Rayon Sports Women, played a pivotal role in the promotion campaign.
She scored six goals in six consecutive matches, helping the team collect 18 points.
Atieno was twice the top scorer in the Rwandan Women’s Premier League, playing for Rayon Sports. She ended up with 43 goals in 2023 and 13 in 2024.
Mathare United Women's coach Ann Aluoch gives instructions during the team's training session at Mathare United Youth Sports Association Headquarter on October 21, 2023.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Young players from Kenya Under-20, including midfielder Jerine Atieno from Bullets and Beverlyne Awuor, also stepped up this season.
The team plans to analyse top-tier clubs’ playing styles and recruit strategically to be competitive in the Premiership.
Previously, the women’s team operated under MYSA, before being integrated into Mathare United, aligning with new club licensing regulations introduced by FKF in 2022.
The rules required all men’s top-flight clubs to have active women’s teams as a condition for participation in FKF-sanctioned leagues.
The policy is part of a broader club licensing system backed by CAF, aimed at ensuring clubs meet standards in sporting, infrastructure, administrative, legal, and financial areas.
The team had twice come close to promotion, missing out narrowly on goal difference in 2024 and a small point margin in 2025.
“This season, the target was clear: we had to go up,” said Obure.
The management struck a firm agreement with coach Aluoch, giving her full control of who to bring to the technical bench and setting promotion as a non-negotiable goal.
Her bench included former Kenya international Veronicah Achieng as assistant coach, Daniel Opondo as goalkeeper trainer, Millicent Ogendi as team manager, Luwum Onyango as fitness coach and Cotridah Andayi as a club physiotherapist.
“We agreed that if the team was not promoted, she would not take up any national team assignment. She promised to give her best, and she did,” he added.
Aluoch, who doubles up as the Kenya Under-17 assistant coach to Mildred Cheche, assembled a strong backroom staff that played a key role in the successful campaign.
“We are giving the women’s team the same benefits as the men. They are treated equally, as agreed with top management. This season, they even had winning bonuses,” the CEO added.
Formed in 1998, Mathare United Women have grown into one of the country’s most influential development sides.
The team was relegated to the second tier for the first time in 2021, marking a challenging period in its history.
Over the years, the club has maintained relative stability on the technical bench.
Since 2010, it has had only six head coaches: Austin (2010–2012), Philip Osianju (2013–2014), Veronicah Kalekye (2015–2016), Boniface Omondi (2017–2018), Mary Adhiambo (2018–2021), and Aluoch (2022–present).
The club’s strong foundation under MYSA has produced some of Kenya’s most notable female footballers.
Among them is former Harambee Starlets captain Doreen Nabwire, the first Kenyan woman to play professional football in Europe.
She featured for Werder Bremen, FC Köln in Germany, and PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands, among other clubs.
Other notable alumni are former Harambee Starlets captain Martha Karimi, who also played for PEC Zwolle, and Mary Kinuthia, another former Kenya captain, who turned out for Swedish side Dalhem IF.
The MYSA pipeline has also produced top coaching and playing talent, including Cheche and Aluoch, both of whom have played key roles in developing women’s football in the country.
In 2024, Cheche led Kenya U-17 to their first-ever World Cup appearance in the Dominican Republic.
Aluoch was also part of the Harambee Starlets team that made thier their debut in the 2016 Wafcon in Cameroon.
Jane Hato, a former Kenya Under-20 captain, now playing for the Master’s University Mustangs in the United States, further highlights the club’s continued impact in the growth of women’s football in the country.
Their male counterparts were also relegated in 2023, ending a decade-long stay in the league. The club, popularly known as the “Slum Boys,” struggled with financial difficulties and inconsistent performances, which ultimately led to their drop.
This season, however, they have shown signs of recovery. After a difficult start, the team has climbed out of the relegation zone and currently sits 12th with 35 points, 11 points above the drop zone.
Under coach John Kamau, Mathare have played 30 matches, winning nine, drawing eight and losing 13.
