Down memory lane with Kisumu Simba Hockey Club and rise of Butali Warriors
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Reading Time: 6min | Tue. 30.12.25. | 17:50
The club featured in the Africa Cup for Club Championships (ACCC) in 2017 and 2023, finishing second runners-up on both occasions
For decades, Kisumu Simba Hockey Club stood as a symbol of pride by the lakeside - a club that proved elite hockey could thrive outside Nairobi, anchored in community, discipline, and belief.
Today, that legacy lives on through Butali Warriors Hockey Club, Kenya’s most dominant men’s hockey team of the past decade.
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The journey from Kisumu Simba to Butali Warriors is not merely a story of rebranding.
It is a narrative of survival, identity, leadership, and sustained excellence, one that mirrors the evolution of Kenyan hockey itself.
Founded in 1978, Kisumu Simba Hockey Club emerged at a time when Kenyan hockey was largely shaped by Sikh Union clubs and industrial sponsorships.
Based in Kisumu, the club quickly grew into a competitive force in the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) leagues, offering a pathway for talented players from western Kenya to compete at the highest level.
Beyond trophies and league standings, Kisumu Simba represented something deeper.
“Kisumu Simba was a symbol of pride, belonging, and possibility for the Kisumu hockey community,” recalls Kamal Sembi, the club’s long-serving team manager.
“It was not just about results; it was about giving young players a sense that they could compete with the best in the country while staying rooted in their community.”
The club became known for discipline, unity, and resilience values that transcended generations.
For young players, Simba was proof that national team dreams did not require relocation to Nairobi.
For the community, it was a shared identity.
On the continental stage, Kisumu Simba also made its mark, featuring in Africa Cup for Club Championships in 1996, 2003, and earning a bronze medal in 2009 early indicators of the competitive DNA that would later define Butali Warriors.
By 2013, Kisumu Simba faced its most serious challenge.
The withdrawal of sponsorship from Kisumu Sikh Union placed the club’s future in jeopardy.
Without financial backing, sustaining top-flight hockey - travel, equipment, training, and player welfare - became increasingly difficult.
It was a make-or-break moment.
Led by the late Parminder Singh Saini ‘Kake’, alongside Sembi, the club’s leadership chose reinvention over resignation.
They approached Butali Sugar Mills, seeking a partnership that could keep the team alive and competitive.
The response would reshape Kenyan hockey.
In 2014, under the leadership of Butali Sugar Mills CEO Sanjay Patel, the company agreed to sponsor the club.
Kisumu Simba was reborn as Butali Warriors Hockey Club - a new name, but a familiar soul.
“When Butali Warriors emerged, that same spirit was carried forward - only with a broader vision,” says Sembi. “The hunger, togetherness, and community-first mindset are direct inheritances from Kisumu Simba.”
Dynasty Built: Domestic Dominance (2014–2024)
What followed was one of the most dominant eras in Kenyan club hockey history.
Since their formation in 2014, Butali Warriors have won eight Kenya Hockey Union Premier League titles.
Champions in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 (unbeaten), 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
First runners-up in 2017 and 2024.
The Warriors did not merely win, they set standards.
Structured hockey, elite fitness levels, and tactical discipline became hallmarks of the team.
“Our consistency comes down to a few non-negotiables,” explains Sembi. “Structured hockey, fitness, and tactical discipline on the pitch; strong governance, clear leadership, and financial prudence off it.”
Unlike many dominant teams that burn brightly and fade, Butali Warriors avoided short-termism.
Squad refreshes were deliberate, leadership transitions managed carefully, and accountability embedded into the club culture.
“Players understand that wearing the Butali badge comes with responsibility,” adds Sembi.
Beyond the league, the club also competed in five major local tournaments, winning three - the Parklands Tournament, Sanaa Tournament in Mombasa, and the Nakuru Athletics Tournament, further cementing their reputation as serial competitors.
Flying Flag Abroad: Africa Club Championships
Butali Warriors’ domestic success naturally translated to continental ambition.
The club featured in the Africa Cup for Club Championships (ACCC) in 2017 and 2023, finishing second runners-up on both occasions.
Notably, both tournaments were hosted in Nairobi, providing Kenyan fans a glimpse of how close the Warriors were to continental glory.
These campaigns echoed Kisumu Simba’s earlier continental forays, reinforcing the sense of continuity rather than rupture between the two identities.
One of Butali Warriors’ most significant contributions lies beyond trophies.
Over the past decade, the club has supplied up to eight players to the Kenya national men’s hockey team, with three featuring at the Hockey5s World Cup in Oman in 2024.
The Warriors have also produced three national team captains and boast the KHU Premier League top scorer for eight consecutive seasons.
This success is no accident.
“Player development has been very deliberate,” says Sembi. “Kisumu remains our heartbeat, it’s where passion is raw and talent abundant. Nairobi sharpens that talent through better facilities and higher competition.”
Training across Kisumu and Nairobi has allowed players to remain grounded in community culture while benefiting from elite exposure.
The result has been not just skilled athletes, but leaders, players capable of carrying responsibility at the highest level.
Navigating Transition Again: Life After Corporate Sponsorship
In 2023 after the ACCC, Butali Sugar Mills withdrew its sponsorship, presenting another test of resilience.
Unlike 2013, however, the club was no longer fighting for survival, it was protecting a legacy.
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The Warriors continued to compete at the highest level, finishing champions in 2023, and runners-up in 2024, even without a sponsor.
For Sembi, the challenge has been balancing progress with identity.
“Honoring the club’s legacy means staying true to our values: humility, hard work, and respect for the game,” he says. “At the same time, future continental success demands professionalism, innovation, and adaptability.”
The club has invested in modern coaching methods, sports science, and continuous education, with coaches attending online seminars and coaching clinics.
At the same time, former players and elders remain involved - custodians of memory and culture.
Unfinished Story
From Kisumu Simba’s lakeside beginnings to Butali Warriors’ national dominance, this is a club built on continuity rather than convenience.
Names changed. Sponsors came and went. But the values endured.
Today, Butali Warriors remain one of Kenyan hockey’s most complete institutions - competitive, productive, and culturally rooted.
Their near-misses at continental level stand as both frustration and motivation.
As Kenyan hockey looks to reclaim its place on the African and global stage, the story of Kisumu Simba and Butali Warriors offers a blueprint: community first, structure always, and ambition without amnesia.
As the story continues to unfold, Butali Warriors are once again setting their sights beyond Kenya’s borders.
The club is gearing up for the 2025 Africa Cup for Club Champions, scheduled to take place in Harare, Zimbabwe, in January 2026.
Having twice finished second runners-up at the continental level, the Warriors are keenly aware of how narrow the margins have been between themselves and African club supremacy.
The upcoming championship offers another chance to turn domestic dominance into continental silverware.
This ambition, however, comes with significant logistical and financial demands. Travel, accommodation, preparation camps, and player welfare all require investment - a reality that has placed partnerships and sponsorships at the center of the club’s immediate focus.
The Warriors are actively seeking strategic partners and sponsors to support their Harare campaign, positioning the opportunity not merely as sponsorship, but as an investment in one of Kenyan hockey’s most successful and professionally run clubs.
For a team that has delivered sustained success even after the withdrawal of corporate sponsorship in 2022, backing the Warriors represents alignment with excellence, resilience, and visibility on the African stage.
For the Warriors, the past is not a burden. It is fuel.
