Selebwa details turning Mombasa United to title contenders from relegation candidates in months
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 08.01.26. | 18:17
Migori Youth, Michael Olunga Football Academy, 3K FC, Mombasa United, Fortune Sacco, Equity FC and Kibera Black Stars are all firmly in the promotion conversation
Mombasa United head coach Gilbert Selebwa has explained how a shift in the club’s transfer culture has transformed the Coastal side into genuine FKF Premier League material.
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Selebwa joined Mombasa United three months ago from the now-defunct SamWest Black Boots, alongside his assistant Andrew Kanuli and goalkeeper trainer Brian Onyango.
The former AFC Leopards team manager took over a side that had finished just a place above the relegation zone in the 2024/2025 season, and mirrored a side short on belief and consistency.
Backed by sponsors Anza Fresh, the club entrusted Selebwa with full control of team affairs, including recruitment, with a clear mandate to stabilise the squad and push for promotion to the FKF Premier League.
Fifteen matches into the season, Selebwa appears to be living that dream. United sit fourth on the table with 25 points, just four behind leaders Migori Youth, who have 29.
Mombasa also have a disputed fixture against Gucha Stars, a result that could still impact their tally.
Speaking to Mozzart Sport, the former Shabana FC coach said he was forced to overhaul certain structures at the club to enjoy the run they are currently on.
Selebwa revealed that his first major decision was to release some local players and bring in footballers from other regions as a way of changing the club’s long-standing mentality.
“I think one of the biggest challenges with some coastal teams is that they tend to rely heavily on their own crop of players.
Most Coast players are talented and have natural football ability, but not all of them are hard workers,” he said.
At the start of the 2025/2026 season, United brought in experienced players from other competitive sides, including FKF Premier League winner Kevin Okoth.
According to Selebwa, the arrival of experienced players, many of whom came to Mombasa specifically to earn a living through football, helped create a more focused and driven squad.
“What we did was to blend intelligent and technically gifted Coast players with players from other regions who knew exactly why they had come to Mombasa,” he explained.
“When someone comes to town to look for a livelihood, they approach the game differently. That is not the same as someone who is playing at home and knows that even after a loss, life goes on as usual.”
The coach adds that the mix of players from regions such as Kakamega and Kisumu brought a different mentality into the dressing room.
“That blend of experience and hunger from players outside the Coast has helped us a lot,” he said.
The promotion-winning coach with Ingwe in 2009, also noted that his arrival saw a significant increase in training intensity, a move that has kept players on their toes.
Having taken over from Hamadi Said, the veteran tactician is understood to have introduced two training sessions per day, with regular build-up matches against other Mombasa-based teams also incorporated into the programme.
“The training level was raised, even the Coast players who people used to label as 'lazy' had to raise their standards to cope with the players we brought in. That has helped us greatly in the matches we have played so far.”
Mombasa United will have a chance to cut Migori Youth’s lead at the top to just two points when they travel to Eldoret this weekend to face Soy United.
This season, three teams will earn direct promotion to the FKF Premier League, a departure from the usual format where only the top two went up automatically, with the third-placed team heading into a playoff against the 16th-placed top-tier side.
Migori Youth, Michael Olunga Football Academy, 3K FC, Mombasa United, Fortune Sacco, Equity FC and Kibera Black Stars are all firmly in the promotion conversation.
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