- The Kenya Police Bullets fans has morphed a simple appreciation token into a sustained, impactful initiative.
- The initiative sees fans reward players for impressive displays in the league.
Women’s football in Kenya continues to navigate a challenging landscape, but amid the obstacles, inspiring success stories are taking shape.
One such story is playing out at Kenya Police Bullets, where a dedicated fan base has morphed simple appreciation into a sustained, impactful initiative.
For the past three seasons, fans of the two-time Kenya Women Premier League champions have been consistently rewarding players for exceptional performance after every match.
According to Afande Celeh, one of the pioneers of the initiative, motivating players is a very critical aspect for performance.
One of the main reasons for the inception of the initiative was to affirm that the fans value what the girls do and appreciate it.
“We believe that motivating players is a key aspect in team performance. We have been doing this to promote team competition, individual growth, build confidence in players, and help them realize that there are fans out here who value what they do,” explained Celeh.
For Fredrick Okapes, the Kenya Police Fanbase Chair, the initiative is a direct response to a long-standing issue in Kenyan sports.
“Many people ignore women’s football in Kenya and that’s why we came together as Bullets fans and chose to support these girls and recognize the work they put in. The tokens, which are awarded instantly after each match to the best performing player, are entirely funded by fan contributions,” he said.
Okapes notes that the monetary token in the envelope has been significantly increased from last season as part of their ongoing efforts.
“Remember, these are fan contributions according to what they can get. We have increased this a little bit as part of our efforts to continue supporting the game and that’s why I want to thank my fellow fans for being there when needed,” he said.
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Kenya Police Bullets fans call on support from other teams
Monica Safania, a career police officer and ardent Police Bullets fan, has urged other KWPL clubs’ supporters to follow suit.
“I would like to ask fans from other clubs to also turn up during matches and contribute some token for their players. Let’s also fill our fields and give the much-needed 12th man noise,” she noted.
The fans’ commitment isn’t stopping with the current monetary rewards. Celeh has revealed plans to enhance the program by adding a commemorative trophy to accompany the financial incentive.
“Currently we are putting measures in place where we shall be giving them a physical trophy that will be a good memory forever. Of course, money is good, but trophies last forever.”
Celeh has also appealed to the broader football community
“There are so many fans attached to these ladies’ teams. I want to appeal to them that with prior plans and unity, minus personal-driven interests, they can also have ways of motivating these girls because it means a lot.”
So far this season, Margaret Kunihira and Medina Abubakar have already been recognized for their outstanding performances in Gameweeks 1 and 2 respectively.
This weekend, the defending champions will welcome debutants Gideon Starlets from Homabay in Gameweek 3 of the Kenya Women Premier League.
