Wafalme Star's middle blocker Felix Ogembo/ HANDOUTFor Felix Ogembo, volleyball was never simply a sport he discovered at school. It was part of the family language he grew up speaking.
The 19-year-old middle blocker has come through a family steeped in Kenyan volleyball, with his mother, Asha Makuto, having represented the country at the highest level and his father, Julius Ogembo, also having played the sport in the same position his son now occupies.
That background gave Ogembo a natural connection to the game, but it has not spared him the challenges that come with trying to establish himself as an elite player.
His latest breakthrough came when he earned a place in the Wafalme Stars squad for the 2026 Men’s African Volleyball Championship in Tunisia, where Kenya will compete from September 15 to 25.
The selection marks an important stage in a journey that began at Malava Secondary School, progressed through the Kenya Under-20 team and survived an early disappointment at senior level.
Ogembo’s story is also another chapter in the Makuto family’s long association with Kenyan volleyball. His mother, Asha, was a Kenya Pipeline player and international who represented Kenya at the 2010 FIVB Women’s World Championship in Japan.
She was also named Best Defender at the 2010 African Clubs Championship while playing for Pipeline. Other members of the extended family have also made their mark.
Everline Makuto, Asha’s sister, was named Most Valuable Player at the 2015 Women’s African Nations Championship in Nairobi after playing a key role in Kenya’s successful campaign. She scored 23 points in the final against Algeria as Kenya secured the continental title.
Another family member, Violet Makuto, was also involved in the sport, while Luke Makuto represented Kenya and later moved into coaching. The family has therefore produced players who have competed at international level, won continental honours and contributed to the development of the next generation through coaching.
Julius, Ogembo’s father, also played as a middle blocker, giving his son an even closer connection to the position he now occupies. His uncle Elphas Makuto provides another example of the family’s volleyball tradition. An experienced opposite hitter who has played at both the domestic and international level, Elphas offers the youngster a high-level example to follow as he seeks to carve out his own place in Kenyan volleyball.
For Ogembo, growing up surrounded by such a rich history meant volleyball was familiar long before he began pursuing it seriously.
“Volleyball has always been part of my family. I grew up seeing my parents and other members of the family involved in the sport, so it became something natural for me,” Ogembo says. “Their experience has encouraged me, but I also want to build my own career,” he adds.
That desire to create an identity separate from the family name has been central to his progression. His competitive journey took shape at Malava Secondary School, where his performances earned him selection to the Kenya Under-20 team for the 2025 African Championship in Cairo. It was a significant step for the youngster.
Having made his name at school level, Ogembo suddenly started competing against some of the best young players on the continent. Kenya went on to win bronze, securing the country’s first medal at the men’s Under-20 African Championship.
For Ogembo, the tournament offered his first major exposure to continental competition and provided an important foundation for his eventual move towards the senior national team.
There was another significant family connection in Cairo. Luke Makuto, a former Kenya international middle blocker, coached the Junior Wafalme Stars side that Ogembo represented at the championship. Luke’s playing career included spells with GSU, Equity Bank and Kenya Forest Service before he moved into coaching.
He has since worked with teams including Central Bank Mombasa, Kenya Ports Authority and KAPU. His most notable achievement came in 2025 when he guided Junior Wafalme Stars to Kenya’s first-ever bronze medal at the African U20 Men’s Championship. Luke’s experience as a former middle blocker also gave Ogembo a coach who understood the technical demands of the position.
For Ogembo, however, the next challenge was to prove that his junior success could translate into the senior game. That opportunity came in March 2026 when national coach Gideon Tarus named him among nine debutants in his provisional Wafalme Stars squad.
His recognition and selection to the provisional team appeared to signal the technical bench’s faith in his rapid development. But when Kenya travelled to Uganda for the CAVB Zone V qualifiers in May and June, Ogembo was not included in the final 14-man team. It was his first major setback at senior level.
“I was disappointed when I missed the Zone V team because I had worked hard to get into the provisional squad. But I understood that competition for places was high and that I had to keep improving,” he says.
Rather than allowing the disappointment to derail his progress, Ogembo returned to training determined to compete for another opportunity. The battle for a place was particularly intense in his position.
Tarus had initially selected seven middle blockers — Wilson Cheruiyot, Levis Ogutu, Brian Kamonde, Shadrack Misiko, Eugene Okello, Amos Karani and Ogembo — leaving the technical bench with difficult decisions to make before the final squad was named. With limited places available, every training session became an extended audition. Tarus acknowledged the strength of the competition as he worked towards selecting his final squad.
“The competition was very high, especially in some positions, and the players pushed each other throughout training. Selecting the final team was difficult because we had several players who had shown that they were capable of representing Kenya,” Tarus said.
This time, Ogembo made the cut. His selection for the African championship is therefore more than the fulfilment of a call-up received several months earlier. It is evidence that he responded to the disappointment in Uganda and remained in contention until another opportunity came.
Tunisia will present a considerably tougher examination. Ogembo is stepping into a senior national team environment containing players with greater continental experience and facing opponents accustomed to the intensity of African championship volleyball.
For the teenager, however, that is precisely what makes the tournament important. His immediate ambition is to make his senior international debut and earn time on the court rather than simply being part of the travelling party.
“My first target is to make my senior debut. I do not want to go to Tunisia to be part of the travelling squad. I want to work hard in training and, when I am given an opportunity, show that I deserve to be on court,” he says.
As a middle blocker, Ogembo knows there will be little room for hesitation. The position requires quick reactions at the net, accurate reading of attackers and strong coordination with setters.
Against more experienced opponents, those details can determine whether a blocker arrives in position or is beaten by the attack. Ogembo sees blocking as one of the main areas where he can grow during the championship.
“I want to improve my blocking because I will be playing against more experienced players. I want to understand how they attack, how they approach the net and how I can read them better. That experience will help me become a stronger middle blocker,” he says.
His development will also depend on his relationship with Kenya’s setters. Middle blockers rely heavily on timing and communication. Quick combinations require the setter and attacker to anticipate each other’s movements, while tempo changes can create opportunities against the opposition block.
Ogembo wants to use the championship environment to improve that aspect of his game. “I also want to improve my combinations with the setters. The speed of the game at senior level is different, so I want to improve my timing and communication with them. The more we train and play together, the better I can understand what they expect from me,” he says.
Those objectives underline Ogembo’s approach to the tournament. He does not view Tunisia as the end point of his development, but as the beginning of his senior international education. His long-term ambition is to become a regular member of Wafalme Stars.
“I want this tournament to be the beginning of something bigger for me. I want to learn, improve and come back a better player. My goal is to establish myself in the national team and become a regular member of Wafalme Stars,” he says.
That ambition is significant given the legacy surrounding him. Ogembo has grown up in a family that includes a former World Championship player, national-team representatives, continental award winners and coaches who have helped develop Kenya’s next generation of volleyballers.
Yet his progress has not been automatic. The family name may have given him an early understanding of the sport, but it was his performances at Malava Secondary School that took him into the national Under-20 team. He then had to compete at continental level, earn his first senior call-up, accept being left out of the Zone V squad and fight his way back into contention.
Each stage has brought a different test. The Under-20 championship gave him continental experience. The first senior call-up showed that the national technical bench saw potential in him.
The omission in Uganda demonstrated how difficult it would be to secure a place among established players. His return to the squad has now allowed him to make the next jump. For a player still only 19, the trajectory is promising. But Ogembo is well aware that potential alone will not be enough at senior level.
“I know I still have a lot to learn. I want to use the experienced players around me, learn from them and improve every day. If I get the opportunity to play, I will give everything for the team,” he says.
When Wafalme Stars begin their African championship campaign in Tunisia, Ogembo will carry with him the influence of a family that has contributed significantly to Kenyan volleyball. But he will also arrive determined to write a chapter of his own.
He is no longer simply the son of former players or another member of the Makuto volleyball family. He is the youngster who came through Malava Secondary School, helped Junior Wafalme Stars make history, experienced the disappointment of missing the Zone V team and earned his way back into the senior squad.
Now, he wants to turn that opportunity into a senior international debut and begin establishing his own identity in the national team. The family legacy may have introduced him to volleyball. The next chapter, however, belongs to Felix Ogembo.
