- The 2026 KSSSA National Term Two Games will feature contrasting volleyball narratives, with Kwanthanze chasing another girls’ title while the boys’ competition is guaranteed to crown a new champion.
- Defending boys’ champions Cheptil Secondary have failed to qualify, leaving one of the most open title races in recent history.
- Historic giants Lugulu Girls and St. Patrick’s Iten remain the benchmark schools in Kenyan secondary school volleyball.
The countdown to the 2026 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term Two Games at MPesa Academy has rekindled memories of some of the greatest volleyball dynasties in Kenyan secondary school sports. As regional champions prepare for the national showdown, the boys’ and girls’ volleyball competitions present contrasting narratives—one seeking a new king and the other waiting to see whether the reigning queens can extend their reign.
For decades, KSSSA volleyball has served as the country’s premier talent pipeline, producing players who have gone on to represent Kenya in clubs, universities and on the international stage. The history of the championship reflects changing eras of dominance, regional rivalries and the emergence of schools that have built enduring sporting traditions.
In the girls’ competition, Lugulu Girls High School remains the undisputed benchmark. The Bungoma County-based institution has won a record 23 national championships, making it the most successful girls’ volleyball school in KSSSA history.
Between 1976 and 2010, Lugulu established one of the longest periods of dominance in Kenyan school sports, winning five consecutive titles from 1976 to 1980, reclaiming the crown in 1982, securing back-to-back victories in 1986 and 1987, sweeping five straight championships from 1992 to 1996, winning again in 1998 and 1999, before completing an extraordinary eight-year winning streak between 2003 and 2010.
Although Lugulu has not lifted the national trophy since 2010, its record remains unmatched and continues to inspire generations of volleyball players.
Kwanthanze targets another title
The chase for Lugulu’s record has intensified over the past decade.
Mukumu Girls High School occupies joint second place with seven national titles, having won championships between 1983 and 1985, in 1990, and from 2000 to 2002.
Sharing second place is Kwanthanze Secondary School, whose rise has transformed the landscape of girls’ volleyball.
Since winning their maiden title in 2013, the Machakos County school has captured seven national championships, including four consecutive titles between 2017 and 2019 before reclaiming the crown in 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Kwanthanze heads into the 2026 national championships as both the defending KSSSA and FEASSSA champions, making them the team to beat.
Other notable girls’ champions include Malava Girls and AIC Kosirai, each with two national titles, while Sing’ore Girls, Rang’ala Girls, St. Brigid’s Kiminini, Butere Girls, Solian Girls, Namirama Girls, Itigo Girls and Kesogon Secondary have each won one championship.
Cheptil’s absence opens boys’ title race
The boys’ competition presents a completely different scenario.
Unlike the girls’ category, where the defending champions return seeking another title, the 2026 championship is guaranteed to produce a new national champion after Cheptil Secondary failed to qualify.
Cheptil’s absence is arguably the biggest talking point ahead of the games.
The school has dominated recent years, winning seven national titles in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2022, 2024 and 2025, while also claiming FEASSSA honours to establish itself as East Africa’s leading school volleyball side.
Their failure to qualify has left the championship wide open.
Despite Cheptil’s recent success, the greatest boys’ volleyball dynasty remains St. Patrick’s Iten.
The Rift Valley giants boast a record 17 national championships, most of them won during an extraordinary period of dominance between 1971 and 1990.
Third on the all-time honours list is Malava Boys High School, whose five national titles underline Western Kenya’s long-standing contribution to school volleyball.
The school’s victories in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2018 demonstrate remarkable consistency over more than a decade.
Other schools that have shaped the championship’s history include Paul Boit Secondary, Giakanja Secondary and Kiriti Secondary with three titles each. Eastleigh High School, Manor House Secondary and Sengera Boys have each won two championships, while Kabiyet Secondary, Afuthi Secondary, Tetu Boys, Kapsaos Secondary, Samitsi Secondary, Hospital Hill, Mogonga Secondary and Ruthimitu Secondary have each lifted the trophy once.
Historical records also show interruptions to the competition in 1988 and again in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond the statistics, the 2026 KSSSA National Games represent more than a contest for trophies.
They provide schools with an opportunity to cement their legacy, showcase talented players to national selectors and earn the honour of representing Kenya at the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games.
For Kwanthanze Secondary, the mission is clear—to successfully defend both the KSSSA and FEASSSA girls’ titles and strengthen their claim as the dominant team of the modern era.
For Lugulu Girls and Mukumu Girls, the championship presents an opportunity to revive their historic dominance.
In the boys’ competition, Cheptil’s absence has created one of the most open title races in recent years, with every qualified team arriving at MPesa Academy knowing history is waiting to be written.
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As Kenya’s finest school volleyball teams converge for the 2026 National Games, one thing is certain: while history provides the foundation, new champions will write the next chapter of one of the country’s most celebrated school sports competitions.
Godfrey Wamalwa
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