Coach Mukopi reflects on Chema’s fairytale rise from Division Two to KVF final
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Reading Time: 4min | Tue. 21.07.26. | 15:05
Their remarkable rise has become one of Kenyan volleyball's biggest success stories. It offers hope that the men's game can become just as competitive as the women's league if emerging clubs are given the right structures and support
Three years ago, Chema Volleyball Club was just another team playing community tournaments in Nairobi's estates.
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Today, they are the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) National League runners-up, have two players in the national team, a ticket to next year's African Club Championships, and a growing reputation as the club proving that success does not always require decades of history.
Their remarkable rise has become one of Kenyan volleyball's biggest success stories. It offers hope that the men's game can become just as competitive as the women's league if emerging clubs are given the right structures and support.
On Saturday, 18 July, the side finished second in the KVF National League finals after losing to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). Despite the loss, they have booked a slot in next year’s African Club Championships.
Mozzart Sport chatted with head coach Jeremiah Mukopi, who explained that the journey has been about much more than winning matches.
"It was a great final. Tough, but all worth it. We have come a long way, but what I can say is that my players have shown resilience throughout the journey to where we are now," Mukopi said.
Chema's story began in 2021 when Chema Steel and Hardware Company founder Charles Wanyiri, alongside Emma Mungara, started supporting casual volleyball matches among employees in Juja.
What initially served as a recreational activity gradually grew into something much bigger.
By 2023, the team had transformed into an organized volleyball club, sharpening its skills in Nairobi's thriving street, or "mtaa", volleyball tournaments. Those competitions became the breeding ground for a squad that would soon surprise the country.
The breakthrough came in the 2024/25 KVF Division II League.
Playing in their debut campaign, Chema dominated the competition, winning 13 of their 14 matches to finish top of the standings with 32 points and secure promotion to Division One.
For many newly promoted clubs, survival is usually the immediate target.
Chema had different ideas.
They quickly established themselves among Kenya's elite, stunning tournament favorites Trailblazers 2-0 in the quarterfinals before eliminating volleyball powerhouse Kenya Prisons 3-1 in the semifinals to book an unlikely place in the league final.
Standing between them and a dream debut title was Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), a club that had spent more than a decade building towards success.
Chema pushed the experienced side all the way in Game One, losing a thrilling five-set contest before KPA wrapped up the best-of-three series with a straight-sets victory to lift their maiden league crown.
For Mukopi, the result did little to diminish what his players had achieved.
"We lost to a good club, good players with experience, having been in the league for the last 13 years. They are good. As newbies, we tried our level best, and congratulations to my players,” the tactician offered.
Behind the rapid rise lies a coaching philosophy built on simple principles rather than complicated tactics. Mukopi says discipline was the first building block.
"In volleyball, the first and key thing is discipline. If you have discipline, you are good. We worked on that first,” he said.
His second priority was turning a collection of players from different backgrounds into a united team.
"When I first took over, I worked on the cohesion of the players. Players coming from different areas and backgrounds. I worked first on that cohesion and focused on the aim of playing well and having good coordination,” he averred.
That unity has already begun producing national team players.
Middle blocker Levis Ogutu was named the league's Best Middle Blocker, while Moses Kamau earned the Best Opposite Hitter award, with both receiving call-ups to the national men's team, Wafalme Stars. Mukopi believes the hard work is only beginning.
"Ahead of the Club Championships, I will work on several areas. I know that where we are headed is tougher. We will work on the service, reception, and the rest will come,” he said.
The coach is also already looking ahead to another potential showdown with KPA in the Kenya Cup. The Kenya Cup quarterfinals are slated for Friday, 24 to Sunday, 26 July.
"I know we are going to meet KPA at some point somewhere in the Kenya Cup. I will sit down and see what we need to do,” he said.
Despite falling just short of the league title, Mukopi considers the season a success.
"As a coach, I am happy that I have achieved my goal. I am looking forward to seeing what next season has to offer or even the Kenya Cup ahead of me,” he noted.
But if there is one statement that sums up his mentality, it is his refusal to settle for merely competing.
"I need to be in the final of every event I am doing. And when I am in the final, the probability of carrying the day is always there for me,” he averred.
For a club that was playing on community courts not long ago, reaching a national final already feels extraordinary.
For Mukopi and Chema, however, this fairytale is not the ending. It is only the first chapter.
