NAIROBI, Kenya – The 2025/2026 Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) men's national league served off with a monumental upset on Thursday, November 6, 2025, as defending champions General Service Unit (GSU) were defeated 3-2 by newcomers Kenya Airport Police Unit (KAPU) at the Kasarani Indoor Arena. The result sent shockwaves through the Kenyan volleyball community on the opening day of the season.

The paramilitary side, coached by Gideon Tarus, appeared to be on track for a routine victory after securing the first set 25-21. However, KAPU, a newly promoted team, mounted a spirited comeback to claim the second and third sets 25-22 and 25-21, respectively. GSU, who reclaimed the title last season, showed their championship pedigree by digging deep to win a tense fourth set 26-24, forcing a decisive final set. In the final set, KAPU dominated a fatigued-looking GSU, winning convincingly 15-5 to seal a historic victory.

GSU's surprising loss was attributed by some reports to the absence of three key players: outside hitter Nicholas Matui, setter Mathias Kemboi, and libero Hudson Kipchumba. KAPU's head coach, Luke Makuto, praised his team's defensive performance as the cornerstone of their win. "I want to thank my boys for their impressive shift in today's game. We have shown what we are capable of doing," Makuto stated post-match. "GSU is a good team and they have quality but we showed grit today. Our defence worked as per my expectations because we always train to defend well," he added.

Other Opening Day Results

In other matches on the opening day, several of the league's traditional powerhouses secured comfortable wins. The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), last season's finalists, defeated Trailblazers 3-0 with set scores of 25-21, 25-20, and 25-17. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) also started their campaign strongly, dispatching Prisons Rift Valley in straight sets (25-12, 25-15, 28-26).

The day also witnessed other tightly contested five-set matches. Administration Police of Kenya (AP Kenya) overcame league debutants Eldoret Water (Eldowas) 3-2. AP Kenya took the first two sets 25-21, before Eldowas staged a remarkable comeback to win the third and fourth sets 36-34 and 25-20. However, the more experienced AP Kenya side held their nerve to win the final set 15-11. Similarly, Nairobi Prisons edged out National Youth Service (NYS) 3-2 in another close encounter.

Implications for the Season

GSU's opening day loss to a newly promoted side is a significant early-season development that suggests the race for the 2025/2026 KVF title could be more competitive than in previous years. While GSU has been a dominant force in Kenyan volleyball, this result will give other teams confidence that the champions are vulnerable. The paramilitary team will be looking to bounce back when they face Trailblazers on Sunday, November 9. Meanwhile, KAPU will aim to build on their dream start when they play National Youth Service (NYS) on Friday, November 7. The opening leg of the season is scheduled to run until Sunday at the Kasarani venue.