Something spectacular happened at the Stade Lat Dior stadium in Senegal in late October. Kenya’s Harambee Starlets edged out the Gambia by a solitary goal to qualify for the women’s African Cup of Nations, the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco. This achievement ended Kenyan women’s nine-year absence from a major continental football event in remarkable fashion. The country last qualified for WAFCON in 2016. Coach Mildred Odemba steered her charges towards this historic milestone, marking only the second qualification in the team’s history.
This event comes against the backdrop of the recent CAF African Nations Championship, CHAN, an event jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The men’s side, Harambee Stars, revived confidence in Kenyan football by capturing the imagination of the nation by storming into the quarter finals of the competition. This renewed confidence in Kenyan football.
In its latest report on how media covered CHAN, ‘Media Reporting on CHAN2024, a scorecard’, the Media Council of Kenya focused specifically on how the Kenyan media portrayed the tournament, Kenya’s national team, Harambee Stars, and the wider themes of national unity, sports governance, and public accountability.
Overall, the tone of reporting was overwhelmingly positive and patriotic, celebrating Kenya’s successful co-hosting and the national team’s strong performance. Reports consistently emphasised the pride of Kenyans, the economic benefits of the event, and the role of sport in promoting regional cooperation.
Broadcast media delivered high-quality live coverage and expert commentary, while vernacular radio stations ensured that rural audiences were not left behind. Digital and social media platforms—including Facebook, X, and TikTok—created a highly interactive layer, becoming arenas for fan debates, instant reactions, and creative expressions of national pride. The report recorded more than 2.2 million interactions on TikTok during Kenya’s victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo, showcasing the strength of online engagement.
In addition to the celebratory mood, journalists upheld their professional mandate, covering challenges with a sense of responsibility. Issues such as ticketing fraud, crowd control lapses, and CAF fines were reported with balance and context, and legal concerns about affordable housing rewards promised to players were examined without sensationalism. This maturity of reporting shows the steady professionalisation of Kenyan journalism.
Furthermore, the monitoring exercise found minimal breaches of the Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025, which marks a significant milestone for sports journalism in the country. Accuracy and fairness remained high, with journalists relying on verified sources including CAF officials, government ministries, the Football Kenya Federation, and credible experts. Although there were isolated cases of misinformation on social media, particularly around ticketing and rivalries between Kenyan and Tanzanian fans, these did not overshadow the overall integrity of the coverage.
The report concludes that CHAN 2024 served as a benchmark for responsible sports reporting, confirming that when journalists are guided by ethics, training, and professionalism, they can strengthen social cohesion and public confidence.
Sustained media coverage of the Starlets’ WAFCON journey offers a window of opportunity to position Kenya’s renewed competitiveness in continental football. The belief and optimism in our football as evidenced during CHAN should be revived; the media is a crucial link to achieve this.
Kenya will also jointly host the men’s 2027 African Cup of Nations – AFCON with Tanzania and Uganda. WAFCON reportage can be complementary to Kenya’s cause as host nation in that upcoming competition. This can be a statement that our footballing prowess as a nation is on a rising trajectory.
Unlike CHAN24, where Kenya qualified as the host nation, the ladies have written footballing history. They earned this slot by warding off stiff competition throughout the group stages to qualify. The exercised discipline and hard work. Their efforts deserve recognition.
Kenya has a chequered history as a footballing nation; qualifying for continental and global events has not been easy. This remarkable achievement should be highlighted consistently by the media. The ladies carry a nation’s collective hopes to Morocco. Qualifying for WAFCON is more than a win; it is a milestone for Kenya’s women’s football, getting back to the continental stage through the qualification route.
In a country with a fanatical following of European football, the highlight can renew interest in home-grown football. Much as it requires collective efforts by government and stakeholders to improve standards, the media can play its part through coverage of these remarkable achievements. Consistent interviews right from the preparation stage and coverage of games are key.
