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By Faye Hackwell A club working towards professionalising women’s football in Kenya has become the first African side to partner with Her Game Too.
Kayole Starlets Football Club was founded in 2008 and more than 400 women have played for the club over the past 17 years, with junior squads starting from under-10 going up to senior level.
Its head coach, Mary Adhiambo, has represented Kenya internationally and four former players have gone on to play professional football in the US, China, France and Czechia.
Kayole Starlets partners with secondary schools to offer full education scholarships to 78 of its academy players and also runs football camps and community outreach programmes to introduce girls to football and help them develop their skills.
After connecting with Her Game Too through a mutual contact in the football community, Gloria Mariwa, Founder of Wecheza - a platform dedicated to building women’s football in Kenya through fan engagement - Kayole Starlets knew this was an opportunity the club had to be part of.
Eric Jackson, Head of Commercial at Kayole Starlets, said: “We were immediately drawn to Her Game Too’s mission of tackling sexism in football and empowering women in sport, which aligns perfectly with our core values.
“We want to create pathways for female footballers to play professional football globally, and this partnership will give us more visibility to challenge stereotypes and encourage more girls to get involved in the sport.”
Through the partnership, Kayole Starlets are planning to dedicate a special match to celebrating their new partnership with Her Game Too, as part of a series of upcoming community football events.
With the club’s main goal being to inspire more females to pursue football as a career and fulfil their potential, continuing its successful football clinics and mentorship programmes are a key priority to supporting girls at grassroots level.
“Ultimately, we aim to professionalise women’s football in Kenya by creating pathways for female players to play professionally both in Kenya and abroad,” Eric said.
“We are currently seeking partners to help us become the first fully professional women’s football team in Kenya - demonstrating that female players can have thriving careers locally and internationally.”
Last year, Kayole Starlets striker Chris Kach won the FIFPro’s Player Activism Award for being a voice for intersex players and championing equality for all.
As well as having hundreds of partnerships with clubs throughout the football pyramid in the UK, Her Game Too is partnered with several overseas clubs, including partners in Greece, France and the US.
Kayole Starlets is the first African club to join the campaign and Eric hopes more will follow in their footsteps.
“We’re incredibly proud to be the first African club to partner with Her Game Too.
“This partnership signifies a major step forward not just for Kayole Starlets, but for women’s football across Kenya and the whole continent.
“Our message to other clubs is simple - gender inclusivity benefits everyone, so we encourage more clubs to take a stand and join this movement as it fosters a better, more inclusive football culture.”
Gloria Mariwa, Founder of Wecheza and Content Creator for Her Game Too, said: "I was introduced to Kayole Starlets and Eric Jackson through a mutual friend. Their impressive passion for advancing women’s football in Kenya, combined with our shared commitment to building an inclusive women’s game, made connecting feel natural."
To find out more about Kayole Starlets, follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KayoleStarletFC/) , X (https://x.com/KayoleStarlets) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kayolestarletsfc/).
