As a young girl, Mercy Iminza who plays for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations volleyball team liked keeping to herself.
Because of this, her parents Shaban Likhayo and Irene who are former volleyball players, took her to open tournaments in Bukembe in Bungoma County to grow her interest in the sport. At the time, she was a class eight pupil at Khwaweli Primary School.
“My parents wanted me to break out of my shell and what a better way to do that than through sport! I attended tournaments with them, though half-heartedly. I later showed interest in the sport, and the rest is history,” Iminza tells Nation Sport.
"With the few basics I had acquired thanks to my dad's dedication and determination to teach me the sport he and mum loved, I joined the school team.We performed well at the zonal but we were eliminated in the regional level.
Thankfully, Lugulu Girls High School coach Moses Lukorito who had attended the games saw my potential and encouraged me to join the school. When I joined Lugulu, and I’m now glad to be part of DCI’s squad. Volleyball has brought out the best in me," she says.
Iminza has been called up to Kenya women's squad for the forthcoming East Africa Community Games in Rwanda, and could make her debut for Kenya.
Directorate of Criminal Investigation's Mercy Iminza (left) with teammates during their Kenya Volleyball Federation women league play-offs match against KCB on October 3, 2023 at Moi International Sports Centre, Gymnasium.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Now aged 22, Iminza is a regular in the DCI team that competes in the Kenya Volleyball Federation National League and hopes to become a mainstay in the Malkia Strikers team.
“I’m humbled. It's a golden opportunity to show ehat I can do for the team. I have played for the under-16 and under-20 teams but not the senior team. Finally the chance is here, and I hope to make the final cut and represent my country,” the Police Constable, who can play as an opposite, middle blocker and setter, said.
She played for Kenya Under-16 team at the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Uganda, and at Africa Under-20 championship held in Kenya. In both events, Kenya lost to Egypt in the final.
"I owe my playing career to my dad and coach Lukorito who held my hand when I was starting. We were performing well with Lugulu Girls at the zonal and regional games, but we always fell short at the nationals.
At the 2018 school games in Eldoret, Kenya Prisons coach Josp Barasa approached me to join his team once I finished secondary school, which I did in 2019 but it was cut short when I took maternity leave," Iminza, who has a four-year-old son called Darell, said.
"After coming out of maternity leave in 2020, I attended trials at DCI and I was picked. Months later, Covid-19 pandemic struck and sporting activities were suspended.
When sports resumed in 2021, we qualified for the league play-offs held in Mombasa. We pushed Kenya Prisons all the way but lost 3-2 sets. I believe that's where I proved my potential.
Again this year, we lost 3-1 to Prisons in the play-offs but I gave a good account myself and thus the call to the national team," Iminza, who has been drafted in the opposite position alongside Kenya Pipeline's Loise Simiyu and Pauline Ito of Kenya Prisons, says.
