Kahawa Pride expand footprint with launch of satellite team in Kakuma Refugee Camp

For decades, Kakuma Refugee Camp has been viewed through the lens of humanitarian crises; stories of displacement, survival and uncertainty dominating conversations about one of the world's largest refugee settlements.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsRarely has the conversation centred on football.Yet tucked away in the dusty pitches of northwestern Kenya are hundreds of young players chasing a dream that often ends before it even begins. Not because they lack talent, but because few people know they exist.KSSSA: Former champions Highway silence Yala but Menengai dash semi-final hopesKahawa Pride want to change that.On Tuesday, 28 July, the Nairobi-based club celebrated its fourth anniversary at Nyayo National Stadium by unveiling what they believe could become one of Kenyan football's most transformative grassroots projects: Kakuma Pride. The satellite club was created to identify, nurture and develop footballers from Kakuma Refugee Camp.It was more than just a ceremonial unveiling.##NAJAVA_MECA_9879087##The newly assembled Kakuma Pride side stunned their parent club, defeating Kahawa Pride on the same pitch where the Nairobi outfit played their first-ever match four years ago.The result was symbolic as the talent had spoken for itself.More than a refugee campEstablished in 1992, Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County is home to nearly 300,000 refugees and asylum seekers who have fled conflict in countries including South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.Congolese striker sets ambitious goals target after joining KCB from Shabana FCWhile Kakuma is synonymous with humanitarian aid, to Kahawa Pride Director of Football Neddy Atieno it is a football goldmine waiting to be discovered."There is so much untapped raw talent, and people have neglected refugee camps because of the perception surrounding them. Even if you look at the history of the Kenyan Premier League, some players came from refugee camps. Australia even has a national team player who came from Kakuma,” Atieno told Mozzart Sport.##NAJAVA_MECA_9879086##For Atieno, the issue has never been talent. It has always been opportunity."Football unites people regardless of race. Partnering with them creates an avenue for bigger opportunities to play. Those opportunities are very rare for them,” she continued.A scouting trip that changed everythingThe project began with what was supposed to be an ordinary scouting mission.Gor Mahia coach explains why Gor Mahia will beat Al HilalKahawa Pride CEO Matthias Orlander travelled to Kakuma alongside the club's head scout looking for a handful of players capable of strengthening the squad.Instead, they found something much bigger."We knew there was a refugee camp there and not many teams were scouting up there. When we got there, we realised bringing just one or two players to Kahawa wasn't really fair because there was so much talent,” Orlander recalled.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878553##The club's solution was unconventional.Rather than extracting the best players and leaving the rest behind, they decided to build a football structure inside Kakuma itself."So, we said we'll create a sister program in Kakuma. They'll have their own team and a pathway into Kahawa Pride. Creating pathways for players in Kakuma, especially those in the refugee camp, became a major thing for us,” the outgoing CEO said.Gor Mahia captain Owino laments poor preparation after fresh injury blowFormer head coach Kim later returned to Kakuma to help assemble a squad of 17 players.Only weeks later, that same group travelled over 750 kilometres to Nairobi and defeated the senior team that had invited them."They're clearly in a good spot. Beating us on our home pitch says a lot," Orlander smiled.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878451##Football as a pathway, not charityFor Kahawa Pride owner and Jersey Bird CEO Hayes Cannup, the project was never about goodwill alone, but about recognising genuine football potential."The players are good. We saw that ourselves and everyone saw it when they beat our senior team,” Cannup said.KSSSA: Bishop travels 800km in 24 hours to watch son shine for Kakamega SchoolUnlike many refugee football initiatives that end with exhibition matches, Kakuma Pride has been designed as a fully functioning football club.The team will compete in an organised county league, train consistently and operate under the same football philosophy as Kahawa Pride."They didn't have a league. They didn't have a structure. So we formed this club, we're putting them into a county league and supporting them there while helping them develop as a feeder team to Kahawa Pride,” Cannup explained.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878440##He believes weekly competitions are the missing ingredient."Structured matches every week will do much more than training here and there without proper competition."Breaking barriers beyond the football pitchKSSSA: TikTok goalkeeper dreaming of Harambee Stars inspires Takaba's historic runFor refugee players, the journey to professional football extends far beyond ability.Travel documentation, identification papers, safeguarding regulations and residency requirements often become obstacles long before scouts can assess talent.Kahawa Pride insist they are prepared for those challenges.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878429##"We intend to work closely with people from Kakuma because bringing players out of the camp requires completing all the necessary paperwork. We also have to work with safeguarding departments and understand the dos and don'ts so everyone is protected,” Atieno explained.Cannup acknowledged that administrative hurdles are inevitable but believes they should never become reasons to abandon gifted players.Former Shabana coach reveals why he rejected several offers to work under Matano"We've already built the structure. We have accommodation, meals and everything players need to focus on football regardless of where they come from.The paperwork can be difficult, but it's something we're willing to work through because our dream is to see these players eventually sign professionally, whether that's in Kenya, Egypt, Europe or anywhere else,” he said.Building dreams, one pathway at a timeKahawa Pride's ambitions stretch far beyond winning matches.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878424##The club hopes Kakuma Pride will become a sustainable talent pipeline capable of producing players for Kenya's top divisions and the national teams."Our aim isn't just for Kahawa Pride to reach the Premier League. It's to produce players who can compete there," Atieno said.The club is already beginning to see signs that its development model works.Gor Mahia forced to dip into transfer market after injury crisisCurrent player Tabitha Wangui has earned a call-up to the Harambee Starlets squad preparing for the FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers, while Atieno hopes the club's men's and women's teams continue climbing the football pyramid."I'll call it a success when I see our teams progressing into the senior leagues and producing the best talents," she said.Her ultimate vision is equally ambitious."If I see Kakuma Pride playing in the National Super League while Kahawa Pride are in the Premier League, that would be a dream come true,” she concluded.