From Rejection to Redemption: Green Commandos Star's Inspiring Journey

The boy who now terrorises defences across Western Region once walked away from football altogether. Not because he lacked talent, but because he was thrown out.

The Kakamega County and Western Region winner, now the heartbeat of his school side, finished as top scorer at the KSSSA national games in Thika with six goals, driving his team back to the regional showpiece. That golden boot, though, rests on a past that almost broke him.

Thrown Out, Swallows His Pride

His rise stalled early. As a youngster in the Green Commandos youth setup, he was chased away for indiscipline. The message was blunt: leave.

"My football life started very early as a young kid. It got to a place where I did not want to play again, so I got a guardian who held my hand and returned me to football. I trusted myself and said, If I come back, I must perform and I will make it," he explained.

He stepped away from the game. No training. No dressing room. Just a growing feeling that football might not be his path after all.

Then came the turning point. Guided by his guardian, he returned to the Under-12 team, swallowed his pride and apologised.

"I had left football because a lot was going on. The first time I was in, I was chased because I was indisciplined, but I came back to the team and apologised and continued to play," he added.

That second chance reshaped him. The raw winger who once clashed with authority began to evolve into a versatile, disciplined footballer, capable of operating on either flank and even at left-back.

New Focus, New Player

From that moment, he drew a clear line: football and education would come first. Everything else moved aside.

"That was at the Under-12 team. The thing that has changed me a lot is that I decided to focus more on football and education, so I need to train hard, and the training is what is helping me to gain a lot."

The work soon showed.

In 2024, still only in Form One, he broke into the school’s senior team. He didn’t just make up the numbers. He scored more than five goals in the sub-county games, driving his school to the county level and announcing himself as a serious talent.

The performances opened another door: a promotion to the Green Commandos senior side, then playing in the FKF Division One league. While still in Form One, he made his debut in the third tier, holding his own among older, more experienced players. A call-up to the Talanta Hela Under-19 team followed, another step on a rapidly rising ladder.

National Team Lessons

The biggest shift in his game arrived when Kenya Under-17 came calling.

With the national team at the CECAFA Under-17 AFCON qualifiers in Addis Ababa, the Green Commandos star was pushed into a different role. He lined up as a left wing-back, not his usual attacking berth. The demands changed: defend first, then explode forward.

He played every minute of the campaign without being substituted, blending defensive responsibility with relentless overlapping runs that launched attacks from deep.

For a player already known for dangerous crosses, whipped corners, powerful runs and a fierce shot, the exposure at that level sharpened his understanding of the game.

"At the national team, I used to play as a wing-back. I did not play as an attacking player. So the experience I got there was valuable when I came here. I was pushed to play offensively, and so I used the experience I got as a left-back and brought it forward," he said.

Those defensive lessons now sit neatly alongside his natural attacking instincts. The result is a more complete footballer, one who reads danger early, makes quicker decisions and still has the energy to surge forward and hurt opponents.

Fighting to Finish Strong

Back with the Green Commandos, the script at the FEASSSA games has not gone to plan. The KSSSA national champions have stumbled out of the blocks, losing their opening two matches to Uganda’s Kyadondo Secondary School and Tanzania’s Urambo Secondary School.

One group game remains: Bukedea Comprehensive of Uganda.

It is not the position they expected to be in, but it is a final chance to leave a mark on the tournament. For the school’s top scorer, it is another test of character, another moment to show how far he has come from the day he was told to leave the youth team.

He now carries the responsibility of leading from the front, determined to help the Green Commandos sign off their group campaign with maximum points.