Formed over two decades ago in the year 1995, Ulinzi Stars is widely known as the military side of Kenyan football. Ulinzi stars came into existence when several military teams combined to form one strong military side based in Nakuru town in the Rift Valley part of Kenya. This was after playing in Thika town for almost close to a decade before moving to their current stadium, which is the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru. This relocation to the Rift Valley part of Kenya coincided with the club's successful years when they won the Kenyan premier league three times in a row between 2003 and 2005.
Military Values
As the military team in the Kenyan premier league, Ulinzi
stars is widely known to instil important military values to its squad members
and coaching staff. This is supported by the fact that most of their members
are military men who have had the opportunity of serving in the Kenyan army,
air force, as well as in the navy. This is not to say that the club does not
recruit non-military men, but then any recruited non-military player must be
able to observe the highest orders of military and strict values. The Ulinzi
stars members are military men, who are paid to represent the military in its
footballing visions in the Kenyan premier league, as well as in the Africa
military games and the military world games.
Limited Fan Base
As a military club, Ulinzi stars have not been able to command
large following as their rivals Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and Sofapaka. This is
down to the fact that normal football fans in Kenya and East Africa, in general, do not have a connection which is that close with the military men. Nevertheless, this has
not been a hindrance in the success of the team in the sense that they have won
the Kenyan premier league four times, the last one being in 2010. Again, the
club's limited fan base has not been a major hindrance when it comes to
finances as this club is a government entity; thus fully supported financially
by the Kenyan government. Even though this government's financial support `has
been instrumental in the club's success, it has attracted wide criticisms from
rival fans and clubs that Ulinzi stars are always favoured when it comes to
officiating. In some quarters, these criticisms are said to be unfounded and do
not have any logic behind them. In this sense, it is an argument that one may have favour
depending on which side of the spectrum he or she aligns him/herself with.
Rivalry with Other Clubs
Going by the recent polls done on football in Kenya, it has been
noted that Ulinzi stars are the most hated club in Kenya. This is at the backdrop of
the fact that Ulinzi stars have some of the most intense rivalries with Gor Mahia,
AFC Leopards, as well as Sofapaka. To the club itself, these rivalries are
healthy to the development of the club in both the national and international
fronts. It is such rivalries that will, without a doubt be the driving force
behind Ulinzi stars becoming the biggest club in Kenyan football.
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