KSSSA: New queens will be crowned as Butere Girls' reign comes to an end
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Reading Time: 5min | Sat. 18.07.26. | 16:12
Their absence has thrown the championship wide open and guarantees that another school will etch its name into Kenyan school football history when the tournament kicks off in Thika
For the first time in four years, the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Girls' Football Championship will have a new winner.
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Defending champions Butere Girls High School, who have dominated the competition in recent years with three consecutive national titles, will not be part of the 2026 KSSSA National Term Two Games after their title defense came to an end in the Western Region final.
Their absence has thrown the championship wide open and guarantees that another school will etch its name into Kenyan school football history when the tournament kicks off in Thika.
It also marks the latest chapter in one of the most competitive competitions in KSSSA history, where dynasties have risen, fallen and given way to new generations of champions.
While Butere Girls have been the face of girls' football in recent seasons, no school has enjoyed greater success than Wiyeta Secondary School.
The Trans Nzoia-based institution remains the most decorated girls' football programme in Kenya with a record 10 national titles.
Their dominance stretched across two different eras, first between 2004 and 2008 when they won five consecutive championships before returning to reclaim the crown in 2015, 2017, the 2019 Under-16 championship and again in 2022.
Few schools have influenced the development of girls' football as profoundly as Wiyeta. Their sustained excellence over nearly two decades established a culture of success that turned the school into the benchmark for every aspiring champion.
Before Wiyeta's rise, however, the national championship belonged to Itigo High School.
The Nyanza giants captured the first four editions of the girls' national championship between 1998 and 2001, laying the foundation for organised girls' football at the secondary school level.
Their remarkable run remains one of the longest uninterrupted title streaks in the competition's history and firmly places them among the sport's traditional powerhouses.
Maina Wanjigi Secondary briefly interrupted Itigo's dominance by securing back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003 before Wiyeta ushered in an era that would redefine the competition.
The years that followed demonstrated how rapidly the balance of power could shift.
After Wiyeta's five-year reign ended in 2008, seven different schools lifted the trophy over the next nine championships.
St. Teresa's Nairobi, Sega Girls, Archbishop Njenga Girls, Tartar Secondary, Olympic High School, St. John's Kaloleni, Kwale Girls, and Nyakach Girls all enjoyed moments of national glory, underlining the increasing competitiveness of girls' football across the country.
Then came Butere Girls.
The Kakamega-based school announced themselves as national champions in 2014 before returning nearly a decade later to launch another dynasty.
Their triumphs in 2023, 2024 and 2025 made them the dominant force in Kenyan secondary school football, while their attractive style of play and consistency established them as favorites whenever they took to the field.
That dominance has now come to an end.
Butere Girls' bid for an unprecedented fourth consecutive national title was halted by Archbishop Njenga Girls, who defeated them 2-1 in the Western Region final to qualify for the nationals.
The result not only ended Butere's reign as regional champions but also ensured the national championship would crown a different winner for the first time since 2022.
Archbishop Njenga's victory carries added significance.
The school knows what it takes to win at the highest level, having lifted the national title in 2011. Their return to the championship presents an opportunity to end a 15-year wait for a second national crown while also denying Western Region rivals the chance to retain the trophy.
Another former champion returning to the national stage is Nyakach Girls.
The Nyanza champions, winners of the 2019 Under-19 national title, head to Thika looking to recapture the form that once saw them crowned the best girls' football team in the country.
Their qualification ensures that one of Kenya's established football schools will once again compete for national honours.
The tournament will also provide an opportunity for several emerging schools to write new chapters in their history.
Pool A promises a fascinating contest, bringing together Coast Region champions Kaya Tiwi, Rift Valley representatives St. Joseph's Girls Kitale, Central Region champions Kiaritha Girls and Nyanza champions Nyakach Girls.
It is arguably the more balanced of the two groups, with every team arriving in Thika after impressive regional campaigns. Nyakach carries a previous national pedigree, while St. Joseph's Girls Kitale have steadily established themselves among the strongest girls' football programmes in the Rift Valley.
Kaya Tiwi and Kiaritha, meanwhile, will be eager to prove they belong among the country's elite.
Pool B features another intriguing blend of experience and ambition.
Archbishop Njenga Girls headline the group alongside Nairobi champions Raila Education Centre, Central Region's second representatives Thika Girls Karibaribi and Eastern Region champions Misuuni Secondary.
For Archbishop Njenga, the group represents the first step in a journey back to the summit of Kenyan girls' football. Raila Education Centre and Thika Girls Karibaribi will be hoping to announce themselves on the national stage, while Misuuni Secondary arrive determined to challenge the traditional football powers.
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The changing list of national champions over the past three decades reflects the remarkable growth of girls' football in Kenya.
What began as a competition dominated by only a handful of schools has evolved into a truly national championship, with champions emerging from Western, Rift Valley, Nyanza, Coast, Nairobi and Central Kenya.
That geographical spread has elevated the standard of competition and made predicting a champion increasingly difficult.
This year's tournament epitomises that unpredictability.
With the defending champions absent, there will be no team carrying the psychological advantage of being title holders. Instead, every qualifier begins the championship believing the trophy is within reach.
Can Archbishop Njenga Girls complete their remarkable return to the top? Will former champions Nyakach Girls rediscover the magic that brought them national success? Can St. Joseph's Girls Kitale, Kaya Tiwi or one of the emerging challengers seize the biggest prize in Kenyan school football?
Those questions will be answered over the coming days in Thika.
One certainty already exists: when the final whistle blows at MPesa Foundation Academy, the KSSSA National Girls' Football Championship will celebrate a new queen of Kenyan secondary school football, ushering in the next chapter of a competition that has continually produced new champions, unforgettable moments and the future stars of the women's game.