Kariobangi Sharks FC is a football club that competes in Kenya’s Premier League and is one of the country’s most successful grassroots football projects.
The club has grown from a small community in Nairobi’s Kariobangi estate into an established top-flight team known for nurturing young talent and competing against Kenya’s football elite.
Over the years, the club has risen through the ranks of Kenyan football to become a respected force in the country’s top division.
From Youth Project to Organized Football Club
Former FKF president Nick Mwendwa started Kariobangi Sharks FC in 2000. Mwendwa identified a group of young footballers who regularly gathered at the basketball courts of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Kariobangi. He saw an opportunity to nurture talent by keeping the local youths engaged in productive activities.
Mwendwa began providing basic football equipment and coaching support using his personal resources.
The club started as Kariobangi Sportive, later rebranded as Kariobangi Sharks, and began competing in local tournaments before being registered in Kenya’s football league system.
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The club climbed through the lower divisions, starting from the Nairobi County League before progressing into national competitions.
Sharks spent several years competing in Kenya’s second-tier leagues and narrowly missed promotion several times. In 2016, they secured promotion to the Kenyan Premier League after defeating Nzoia Sugar FC in a decisive match.
The club’s traditional colors are yellow and green, while its supporters commonly refer to the team as “The Sharkmen” or “Wapakaji.” Under coach William Muluya.
Success on the Pitch and National Recognition
The club’s breakthrough came in the 2017 FKF Cup, when Sharks reached the final but lost 2-0 to AFC Leopards.
In October 2018, Kariobangi Sharks defeated Sofapaka 3-2 in the FKF SportPesa Shield final, winning their first major domestic trophy. The victory also earned them a place in the CAF Confederation Cup.
They made their continental debut in the 2018/19 season. Sharks defeated Djibouti’s Arta/Solar7 9-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round, including a 6-1 home victory in Nairobi. Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko later eliminated them in the first round.
Sharks added another major honor in December 2018 when they defeated Kenyan champions Gor Mahia 1-0 to win the Kenyan Super Cup. Sidney Lokale scored the decisive goal.
In 2019, the club also won the SportPesa Cup in Dar es Salaam after beating Bandari 1-0. That victory earned Sharks a friendly against English Premier League club Everton in Nairobi, where Sharks won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Profile of Kariobangi Sharks owner Nick Mwendwa
Mwendwa was born in Makueni County and grew up in Kariobangi, Nairobi. he attended Makindu ‘A’ Primary School, Kiserian Junior Seminary and Thomeandu Secondary School before joining the Kenya College of Accountancy, where he obtained a diploma in Information Technology in 1997.
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He later completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Management/Leadership from Bottega University in 2023.
After completing his IT studies, Mwendwa worked in the technology sector, including helping deploy retail payment systems at Uchumi Supermarkets.
In 2009, he founded Riverbank Solutions, a technology company specializing in digital payment and revenue-collection solutions.
Mwendwa later expanded into other technology ventures, including Swiggo, an online shopping platform, and other digital-payment and technology businesses. In 2025, KCB Group announced an agreement to acquire a 75 percent stake in Riverbank Solutions, subject to regulatory approvals. the transaction valued the company at about KSh2 billion
In February 2016, Mwendwa was elected FKF president after securing 50 votes against Ambrose Rachier’s 27. He replaced Sam Nyamweya and was re-elected for a second term in 2020.
During his second term, Kenya’s Junior Starlets qualified for the 2024 FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup, while Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania secured the hosting rights for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
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