For years, football in Embu was largely associated with village tournaments and school games. Today, one name is changing that narrative: 3K FC.
The club will make history in the 2026/2027 season after becoming the first team from Embu County to reach the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL). It is a story more than two decades in the making, culminating in a remarkable rise to national prominence in just two seasons.
While many people in town assumed that 3K stood for three friends, three sponsors or three thousand shillings, the club’s origins are far more communal. According to its official history, 3K FC was established in 2003 by a community association with roots across Embu North.
The club was not born in a boardroom but in the villages. Its name represents three neighbouring villages whose names begin with the letter K: Kagumori, Kathangariri and Kibugu. The three communities agreed to set aside their football rivalries and build one strong team. Each contributed players, elders and small collections to buy footballs and support the fledgling club.
For almost two decades, 3K remained a community outfit, competing in the county and regional leagues. It kept young people engaged in football and gave Form Four leavers an opportunity to continue playing rather than travel to Nairobi for trials they could barely afford. The ambition was always to reach the national stage, but without adequate funding, that dream remained elusive.
Daniel Wabwire (left) of 3K FC fights for the ball with Noah Jagongo of Migori Youth FC in a National Super League match at Moi Stadium in Embu on June 6, 2026
Photo credit: Courtesy
That began to change under the stewardship of Chairman Charles Njagi. When he took over, the club had no sponsor, no proper training kit and no suitable playing ground. Players recall using stones as training cones and hiring a Probox for away matches in Mwea, Meru and Chuka, squeezing 12 players, water and footballs into one vehicle.
Njagi is credited by players and supporters with instilling financial discipline and ensuring that even modest stipends of between Sh3,000 and Sh5,000 were paid on time. In lower-league football, where delayed payments are common, that reliability helped retain players and build trust.
He also held the three communities together when the project appeared close to collapse. Under his leadership, the village-based team began evolving into a more structured, professional outfit.
The breakthrough came in 2024. After years of trying, 3K won the FKF Division One Zone A title with 60 points, earning automatic promotion to the National Super League (NSL). It was the club’s first major national trophy and a statement that Embu football had arrived on the national stage.
Their debut NSL campaign in the 2024/2025 season was about survival and learning. The league presented a demanding test, with long trips to Kisumu, Kakamega and Mombasa.
They finished ninth with 47 points, a respectable mid-table return for newcomers still adjusting to the demands of national competition. However, when they returned for the 2025/2026 campaign, their ambitions had grown considerably. This time, they were targeting promotion to the Premier League.
3K turned that ambition into reality in what will go down as the most successful season in the club’s history. The side finished second in the NSL with 77 points, behind champions Migori Youth, to secure automatic promotion to the FKF Premier League.
Their numbers were impressive. In 38 matches, they recorded 23 wins, eight draws and seven defeats, scoring 62 goals and conceding 26. No other team in the NSL scored more goals during the campaign. Their attacking, possession-based style became a defining feature, making Moi Stadium in Embu a difficult venue for visiting teams.
Leading the charge was Mark Kithome, who finished the season with 14 goals and seven assists, establishing himself as one of the league’s most productive forwards. He received valuable support from Javan Njue, Oscar Juma and Alex Mwalimu, who also made significant contributions to the team’s attacking output. Although promotion was a collective achievement, Kithome’s consistency in front of goal proved crucial in tight matches. He has since moved to rivals Nairobi United, while Njue, Juma and Mwalimu remain with the club.
What makes the achievement even more remarkable is how difficult the season began. In early 2026, 3K were languishing in mid-table and struggling for form. Following a poor run of results, the club made the difficult decision to part ways with head coach Francis Chege and his entire technical bench. At the time, many believed their promotion ambitions had suffered an irreparable setback, but that was not the case.
In February, the club turned to Nicodemus Omasete to revive its campaign. A CAF B-licensed coach who is pursuing his CAF A licence, Omasete is known in lower-league football for developing young players and implementing structured football. He had spent more than a decade coaching in Division One and the NSL without reaching the Premier League.
His impact was immediate and dramatic. Rather than overhaul the squad, Omasete focused on rebuilding belief, improving fitness and sharpening the players’ positioning.
He oversaw a remarkable six-match winning streak during which 3K scored 22 goals and conceded just once. The run lifted them from mid-table obscurity into the heart of the promotion race, ultimately securing their historic place in the top flight.
“I found a team with heart but without structure. For me, promotion was more than just three points. It was a dream come true when the club gained KPL status,” Omasete told Nation Sport.
First, the club becomes the first from Embu County to reach the FKF Premier League. For a county that has produced talented footballers who have often had to seek opportunities in Nairobi or abroad, the achievement offers the prospect of top-flight football at home.
Support for the team has also grown. During the previous season, Embu Stadium was already filling up by 11am ahead of major NSL matches, with Governor Cecily Mbarire among those attending.
Second, 3K becomes the latest club from the greater Mt Kenya region to reach the modern Premier League, joining a select group that includes Thika United, Bidco United, Mt Kenya United, formerly known as Nakumatt FC, and Murang’a Seal.
Thika United represented Kiambu for years in the top flight, while Bidco United, also based in Thika, faced relegation last season. Mt Kenya United carried the region’s name during its time in the league, while Murang’a Seal earned promotion in 2023 and remains among the top-flight clubs.
For a region whose clubs have often struggled to sustain their Premier League status because of financial constraints, 3K’s rise offers renewed hope for Mt Kenya football.
However, the FKF Premier League will present a different and more expensive challenge. The club will now face established sides such as Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards, Shabana, Tusker and Kenya Police. Its budget remains among the smallest in the league, although the county government has pledged support.
Omasete says the immediate objective is to secure the club’s place in the top flight, acknowledging that 3K are newcomers who must first learn the demands of the competition. Personally, however, he is targeting a top-10 finish, which he believes would represent a significant achievement for the three villages that built the club.
From a community association established in 2003 around Kagumori, Kathangariri and Kibigu, to winning the Division One Zone A title with 60 points in 2024, finishing ninth with 47 points in their maiden NSL season, and then securing second place with 77 points, 23 wins and 62 goals in 2025/2026, 3K FC have completed a remarkable grassroots football journey.
Their story is a testament to the power of community, persistence and belief. For Embu, the achievement is more than a promotion: it is the arrival of a club on Kenya’s biggest football stage.
