KCB FC's Ambitious Rebuild for the 2026/27 Season
KCB FC are not tinkering. They are tearing up and rewriting.
After a flat 2025/26 campaign that yielded seventh place in the FKF Premier League and a fourth-place finish in the FKF Cup, the bankers have launched a full-scale reset of both the dugout and the dressing room ahead of the 2026/27 SportPesa League season.
Matano’s bench gets sharper
The first statement came on the touchline.
Assistant coach Peter Okidi Okoth has been drafted in following his exit from newly promoted Mombasa United, adding fresh eyes and energy alongside veteran head coach Robert Matano. Alongside him, Bonface Olouch Otieno arrives from Gor Mahia to take charge of the goalkeepers, a specialist role KCB clearly want elevated as they chase fine margins.
It is not just the front-facing staff either. The club quietly moved last season to bring in Tobby Owino as video analyst, while strength and conditioning coach Samuel Macharia – who returned in the second half of the 2025/26 campaign – stays on to drive the physical standards.
This is a bench built for detail. And for pressure.
Matano made it clear the changes are no scattergun reaction. He stressed that KCB have been “deliberate in identifying players who fit the way we want to play and who possess the quality, discipline and mentality required,” adding that the reinforced technical team leaves them “better prepared for the demands of the new season.”
Seven new faces, one clear message
If the coaching reshuffle set the tone, the transfer business underlined it.
Seven signings walk into the KCB dressing room, each one targeted to plug specific gaps in a squad that faded when it mattered last term.
On the flanks of the back four, there is a complete refresh: right-back Mark Oduor joins from Shabana FC, while left-back Jim Owili arrives from Mara Sugar, giving Matano new options in wide defensive areas and, crucially, in transition.
Shielding the defence, Fidel Origa swaps Gor Mahia for KCB, bringing bite and balance at the base of midfield. Ahead of him, creative responsibility will be shared with attacking midfielder Brian Ouru, signed from Mathare United, as the bankers look to add more incision between the lines.
Out wide, Burundian winger Franck Nduwimana comes in from Rwanda’s Gorilla, a signing that hints at a more aggressive approach on the flanks. Up front, Shabana’s Assis Mambote offers a new focal point in attack, while central midfielder Geoffrey Ojunga, recruited from Bandari, deepens competition in the engine room.
This is not a cosmetic refresh. It is a spine-and-structure rebuild.
Ambition from the top
The intent has been echoed in the boardroom.
KCB FC Patron Azu Ogola framed the overhaul as a continuation of the club’s push towards the top end of Kenyan football, insisting the latest additions underline a determination to compete for honours.
“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.
He did not dodge expectations either. As the new season approaches, Ogola was clear: KCB want to be competitive in every match and to make their supporters proud through consistent performances.
From nearly men to contenders?
Last season’s numbers were not disastrous, but they were nowhere near enough for a club that talks openly about trophies. Seventh in the league. Fourth in the cup. Respectable. Forgettable.
This time, there are no excuses built into the structure. Matano has his staff. He has his profiles. He has depth in almost every line.
The question now is simple and unforgiving: can this rebuilt KCB side turn bold recruitment and a fortified bench into the one thing they lacked last season – a genuine, sustained tilt at domestic silverware?
