Most popular sports in Kenya

Let's talk about Kenya. This beautiful East African country has 50 national parks and reserves, over 60 languages are spoken here, and the first woman to win the Nobel prize is from Kenya. That's how incredible this country is. 

Another thing that puts Kenya in the spotlight is its world-famous athletes. Kenyans are passionate about cheering their teams and individual representatives. Aside from athletics, these are the most popular sports in Kenya. 

Football

Football is by far the most popular sport in Kenya. The popularity of football is so high that Kenyans of all ages like to play it and watch it. In addition, Kenyans like betting on sports, especially football, so it doesn't surprise how many passionate bettors Kenya has. 

Although the country's national team (Harambee Stars) didn't have any significant international success, football has earned its place as the national sport. Also, some Kenyan footballers have gained global fame, including Dennis Oliech, Victor Wanyama, Michael Olunga, and Francis Kahata. 

The country has a national league - the Kenyan Premier League. It is an entirely professional league in Kenya. On the other hand, the Kenyan National Super League combines professional and semi-professional clubs. 

Athletics  

You may not think about Kenya when football is mentioned, but when we hear athletics, we think about Kenya as the country is proud of some of the best athletes in the world. They are present and dominate in many categories, including cross country, field, track, and marathon. 

Catherine Ndereba is a two-time world champion and four-time women's Boston Marathon winner. However, the list of famous and successful athletics players from Kenya is long. It includes Samuel Wanjiru, Eliud Kipchoge, Kipchoge Keino, Vivian Cheruiyot, LinetMasai, Paul Tergat, JanethJepkosgei, and Pamela Jelimo. 

The Boston Marathon is not the only one where Kenyan athletics players achieved incredible results. They were/are incredibly successful in New York, London, Berlin, and Tokyo Marathons, as well as the Olympic Games. 

Rugby Union

Although we put athletics as the number two on our list, the second most popular sport in Kenya is rugby union. The sport was introduced at the beginning of the 20th century when settlers and British officials played the first match in Mombasa. 

Since then, rugby union has become pretty popular in the country. Today, there are over 50,000 licensed rugby players in Kenya, including the icons such as Oscar Osir, Humphrey Kayange, Edward Rombo, ​​Paul Murunga, and Roger Akena. 

In addition, the capital of Nairobi hosts the annual Safari Sevens tournament, which adds to the sport's popularity. 

Volleyball

Volleyball is a sport most popular among the younger generation. Various Kenyan clubs won over ten African championships in the past three decades. The women's national team was wildly successful, winning nine continental titles. 

The most popular vollebay players in Kenya are Sharon Chepchumba, Jane Wairimu, Noel Murambi, Kasaya, AgripinaKundu, and Violet Makuto. 

Basketball

Basketball is growing in popularity in Kenya. The late 20th century was a great time for the Kenyan national basketball team. The team managed to qualify for the ABC (African Basketball Championship) a few times between the mid-80 and mid-90. They even got to the semi-finals in the 1993 championship.

Today, the most talented individuals play all around the world, including in the US, Asia, and Europe. Kenya is also proud of its players playing in the NCAA - the globally famous basketball league for university students. It's the strongest one of its type. 

The most popular basketball players in Kenya are Ligare Griffin, Ongoro Joseph, KorangaOkall, Abuto Crispin, Onono Fredrick, and Bosire Victor. 

Baseball

Similar to basketball, baseball gained enormous popularity among the Kenyan public in the last decade of the 20th century. However, the enthusiasm went off a bit at the beginning of the new millennium. 

Still, baseball is pretty popular in Kenya, and kids at primary and secondary schools play it as well as students at universities. The most passionate baseball fans are in Nairobi, Makueni, Migori, and Meru. Also, the most significant event for Kenyan professional baseball players is the Baseball African Championship. 

Sport As a Lifestyle

As we mentioned in the beginning, Kenyans enjoy watching and love engaging in various sports. Kids are especially encouraged to be physically active, which allows them to develop a love for outdoor activities and bonding.