Junior Lionesses set for red carpet reception in Nairobi after making history at Dakar Olympics

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 4, 2026 – The national junior women’s rugby 7s team will return to the country on Friday morning after winning gold at the ongoing Dakar Youth Olympics. The Rising Lionesses are due a red carpet reception at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before a reception by the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) and the Ministry of Sports. Knight Otuoma’s charges wrote their names in history books on Tuesday night, becoming the first ever team sport from Kenya to clinch an Olympic medal after a 17-12 win over Australia in a pulsating final. As the hours count down to their heroic return, congratulations and admiration continue to flow from all quarters. In a statement, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya congratulated the team for their composure in the final in which they fell behind before coming back to ultimately win the match. “I congratulate the players, coaches, technical bench and support staff. Their hard work throughout the campaign and their composure in a closely contested final have made Kenya proud,” the CS said. Mvurya further underlined the government’s commitment to build upon the juniors’ achievement to ensure it is not just a one-off accomplishment. “The Ministry will continue working with the Kenya Rugby Union and other partners to strengthen the pathway from school and community rugby to club competition and national teams. Access to coaching and regular competition will help more girls develop their talent and progress to senior international rugby,” he said. Speaking at the same time, KRU CEO Thomas Odundo said Lionesses’ success is a product of the strides made by women’s rugby across the world, more so in Africa. “Africa has embraced women’s rugby more than any other continent. Having two African teams (Kenya and Madagascar) on the podium in Dakar is evidence of that,” he said. From Dakar, national men’s rugby 7s legend Humphrey Kayange said the Junior Lionesses have shown that it is possible for team sports in Kenya to shine on the international stage. “In terms of Olympic history, they are the first team sport to win an Olympic medal. Over the last few days we have been talking about the Dakar Youth Olympics making history but we have also made our own history. This will be a moment for their lives that they will look back upon. I hope this inspires the generations to come and show the senior teams that it is possible,” Kayange said. Future is bright The woman who was at the epicentre of the Junior Lionesses success, Otuoma, was in seventh heaven after leading the team to history in what is her baby steps in coaching. “It’s been a tough tournament, but we had prepared well. I just told the girls to go in and have fun,” the former Kenya Lionesses player said. She said the talent within the squad portends a great future for women’s rugby in Kenya even as the senior Lionesses feature in the World Rugby Series. “This means that Kenyan rugby has depth. We have numbers. The future of rugby is bright,” Otuoma said. Even as the juniors revel in their success in Senegal, their seniors will be in action at the Africa Championships in Nairobi on November 7-8, where they will be hoping to win gold on home soil.