Meet the Kenyan hockey team roaring on ice

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Kenyans are renowned for their speed and endurance on the running track but are less known for their dominance on the ice. Benjamin Mburu is the captain of the country’s national hockey team, the Kenya Ice Lions. He counts himself among the pioneers of ice hockey in Kenya, a sport steadily growing in popularity across Africa.

Benjamin’s introduction to hockey came about in high school, where he played roller and street hockey with friends. “One day, the guys who were playing ice hockey called me up to the ice rink and told me to come to try. Since then, I have never looked back. I fell in love with the sport, and I love each and every moment of playing ice hockey,” he says.

The Roaring Ice Lions

Central and East Africa’s only ice rink is inside the Panari Hotel in Nairobi. The building is next to a national park, home to some of Africa’s most well-known wildlife. The group decided to include the animals in their name as a mark of respect.

“The name of our team, The Kenya Ice Lions, originated from the famous lions of Africa and Kenya. So, it was an easy adaptation. The lions in the national park on ice,” says Benjamin. “We have the lions, and we want to roar,” he gleefully adds.

Starting from Scratch

Tim Colby, a 59-year Canadian expatriate, is the team’s coach. He was initially hesitant to take on the responsibility, but the Kenyan players’ excitement encouraged him to accept the challenge.

“At first, I warned against it because it’s very complex and hard to do. There are people of all ages playing, and some come and go. This makes it hard to keep track of everything,” says Tim. “One of the things that I’m responsible for is making sure that there’s some organisation,” he adds.

A Promising Future

Sports like ice hockey are predominantly played in countries with cold weather. Even though it is a winter sport, ice hockey has become one of the world’s most popular and lucrative professional sports leagues. The Ice Lions were inspired to try ice hockey, even though it’s not common in Africa.

“Kenya is on the equator. It’s a tropical country,” Tim tells Scenes, arguing that climate isn’t the only factor in the spread of ice hockey among Kenyans. “But that shows the enthusiasm of the Kenyan players. The sport has a future here.”

Coach Tim is…