KCB FC Overhaul for 2026/27 Season

KCB FC have ripped up last season’s script and started again.

After a flat 2025/26 campaign that ended with seventh place in the FKF Premier League and a semi-respectable but unsatisfying fourth in the FKF Cup, the bankers have responded with a bold, targeted rebuild of both the dugout and the dressing room ahead of the 2026/27 SportPesa League season.

Matano’s bench beefed up

Veteran head coach Robert Matano will not walk into the new season alone.

KCB have brought in Peter Okidi Okoth as assistant coach, prising him away from newly promoted Mombasa United, where he had quietly built a reputation as a sharp tactician. Alongside him, Bonface Olouch Otieno arrives from Gor Mahia to take charge of the goalkeepers, a specialist role KCB clearly believe can squeeze extra points over a long campaign.

The club had already moved to modernise its backroom last season by appointing Tobby Owino as video analyst, while strength and conditioning coach Samuel Macharia, who returned midway through 2025/26, stays on to drive the physical standards.

It is a bench that now looks deeper, sharper, and unmistakably aligned to Matano’s demands.

“We have been deliberate in identifying players who fit the way we want to play and who possess the quality, discipline and mentality required at KCB. The reinforcement of our technical bench will ensure that we are better prepared for the demands of the new season,” Matano said, framing the changes as part of a clear, long-term plan rather than a knee-jerk reaction.

Seven new faces, one clear message

On the pitch, KCB have gone for volume and variety.

Seven signings arrive to refresh a squad that too often flattered to deceive last term. Each comes with a defined role, a specific problem to solve.

• At right-back, Mark Oduor joins from Shabana FC, offering energy down the flank.
• On the opposite side, left-back Jim Owili arrives from Mara Sugar, adding balance and competition in a position that has often been a weak link.
• The spine has not been ignored. Defensive midfielder Fidel Origa swaps Gor Mahia for KCB, tasked with shielding the back four and setting the tempo from deep.
• Ahead of him, central midfielder Geoffrey Ojunga signs from Bandari, bringing control and composure in possession.
• Creativity and cutting edge have also been addressed. Attacking midfielder Brian Ouru comes in from Mathare United, expected to knit attacks together.
• Burundian winger Franck Nduwimana, recruited from Rwanda’s Gorilla, offers width and direct running out wide.
• Up front, striker Assis Mambote, another arrival from Shabana, adds a focal point to an attack that too often lacked ruthlessness.

Seven players, spread across the pitch. This is not a cosmetic touch-up. It is an overhaul.

Ambition from the top

The intent is not just technical; it is institutional.

KCB FC Patron Azu Ogola made the club’s stance plain, tying the recruitment drive to a wider ambition to step out of the chasing pack and into the title conversation.

“KCB have consistently demonstrated their ambition to compete at the highest level, and these changes reflect our commitment to building a team capable of challenging for trophies. We have assembled a strong technical team and recruited quality players who share our vision," Ogola said.

“As we head into the new season, our expectations are clear: we want to be competitive in every match and make our supporters proud through consistent performances.”

The message from the boardroom matches the moves on the training ground: seventh and fourth are no longer acceptable reference points.

From nearly-men to contenders?

Last season, KCB hovered in the upper half of the table without ever truly threatening to tear it up. Solid, organised, occasionally dangerous – but rarely ruthless. The cup run hinted at potential, yet the finish line remained out of reach.

Now, with a reinforced technical bench, a remodelled squad and a head coach who knows how to build title-chasing teams, the club has stripped away the excuses.

The bankers have invested in depth, detail and mentality. The question that will define their season is simple: can this new-look KCB turn promise into silverware under Matano’s hard-edged watch?