Ulinzi Stars have officially relieved head coach Stephen Ocholla of his duties following a prolonged slump in form that has left the four-time league champions fighting for their top-flight survival.
The decision was reached by the club’s hierarchy on Monday, March 16, just 24 hours after a humbling 3-1 defeat at the hands of league leaders Gor Mahia at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
In an official statement released via the club’s social media channels following the decision, the management noted:
“After careful consideration, the club’s management has taken the decision to give the Head Coach a short break to reflect and regroup as we work towards turning our results around. Despite this difficult period, we recognize the continued dedication and commitment shown by the technical bench, particularly the Head Coach in striving to improve the team’s performances.”
Ulinzi Stars place coach Stephen Ocholla on ice amid poor results
The loss to K’Ogalo proved to be the final straw for the military side, as it extended their dismal winless run to nine consecutive matches and left them languishing in 17th place on the SportPesa League table.
Ocholla, a revered club legend who famously captained the Soldiers to their 2010 league title, had been serving as the interim manager since October 29, 2025.
He took the reins from Dunstan Nyaudo during another period of instability, but despite his deep ties to the club and initial hopes of a new chapter, the team’s performance failed to find consistency.
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Under his leadership, Ulinzi managed only three wins and five draws wins while suffering 11 defeats, collecting a meager 14 points from a possible 57.
The side struggled significantly in front of goal, managing to score more than one goal on only two occasions,victories against Posta Rangers and Sofapaka.
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This lack of offensive threat combined with a defense that kept only two clean sheets during his tenure, ultimately doomed his second coaching stint with the senior men’s team.
Despite the team’s struggles in the league, Ocholla’s final days were punctuated by a rare moment of brilliance in the FKF Cup. Just over a week before his dismissal, on March 7,the Soldiers put aside their relegation worries to record a 7-0 victory over Zoo FC in the Round of 32.
The club had secured a 1-0 win over Karmel Park in the round of 64.
While no permanent successor has been named, the military side is expected to appoint another interim figure from within the ranks to oversee training this week with another club legend Mulinge Ndeto being touted as the successor.
