KPA’s star receiver Thuita out to show old is truly gold, and class is permanent

Monday, February 15, 2010.

Sammy Mulinge arrives in Kigali to take over from compatriot Paul Bitok as head coach of Rwandan Patriotic Army (APR) Volleyball Club with his ally having landed the Rwandan national team job.
As he settles in, Mulinge immediately realizes that he needs an attacker to bolster his squad. The vacancy is as follows: a tall outside hitter who is young, can receive and unattached. Mulinge decides to look for options back home after failing to get a suitable player in Rwanda. Enter David Thuita and Cleophas “Koloma” Bunei.

“Rwanda had a strategy before we (Bitok and Mulinge) even got there. They encouraged their top clubs to sign quality foreign players so that their young players could learn from them. Most of their outside hitters were at a low level that’s why I invited Thuita and Koloma for trials,” recalls Mulinge.

The duo had striking similarity in terms of their style of play (both attacking and reception) although Koloma was slightly taller than Thuita. If it was Mulinge’s call, he would have kept both of them but there was a problem – he only had space for one.

After two months of trials, the verdict was out. “Both of them were very good but the entire board settled on Thuita because he is a fighter on court,” revealed Mulinge.

“I don’t know how to put it but he has got this desire to win and he always gives his best. He doesn’t give up and he knows how to rally the team,” adds Mulinge clearly at pains to explain what exactly makes Thuita stand out.

Ten years later, Thuita is still in Mulinge’s first six but at a different club and country. The duo have been reunited at Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Mulinge never runs out of superlatives to describe his most experienced player. 

“He is a much better player now. When I coached him in Rwanda, he was young and still learning. Now he has matured and his experience is crucial for this fairly young team,” explained Mulinge.

“He plays a big role in reception which makes it easy for us to play in system. When we play in system we have higher chances of scoring. He also comes in handy when playing out of system because he knows how to score and such situations can be tricky for young players,” he added.

While age might have sapped some power out of his attacks, Thuita still ticks all the right boxes for an outside hitter.

Comfortable with the underarm and overhead pass, he is arguably the best receiver in the country and it’s no wonder much of KPA’s tactics rotate around his reception.

All-rounder

Unlike many upcoming players in his position who focus more on attack, Thuita delights in doing the “dirty work” for his teammates averaging at least 80 per cent in both reception and floor defence.

“I started playing volleyball as a libero and that’s why my reception is good. When I was in high school, legendary Kenyan libero Cuban (Charles Matimu) encouraged me to perfect my reception and this has really helped me stand out at club level to date. I understand how crucial my role is because in volleyball, anybody can attack but not everybody can receive,” said Thuita, whose career spans 13 years and seven clubs thus far.

Kenya Commercial Bank, Posta, APR, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Forest Rangers, Nyeri Stima, Co-operative Bank and KPA are the clubs he’s represented.

According to former Kenya international Jackton Omukani, Thuita is indispensable because he’s got many strings to his bow.

“Most players have one skill but Thuita is an all-rounder, if he’s off in attack then he can receive and defend. He’s got many roles that he can play on court and that’s something he’s always had from a young age,” said Omukani who signed Thuita at KCB in 2008 straight from high school. 

“He had the potential to become great but that alone is not enough since the position he plays is not easy. He is coachable, disciplined and has worked really hard to remain competitive over the years,” the praises overflowed.

While Thuita has been a regular for all the clubs he’s played for, it’s only at KPA that he has “felt at home”.

“It’s been four years at this club since this is home to me. The management is straightforward in matters finances and the club has done well in taking care of the welfare of players.

“As a team, our level has also improved and of course any player always wants to play alongside good players. The unity and brotherhood amongst us is great which makes us one big family,” said the 35-year-old. 

Dark horses

Thuita has guided the side to a play-off berth for three consecutive years since he joined the Dockers in 2017. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the play-offs.  After two unsuccessful attempts to qualify for the Africa Club Championships, KPA finally made it in 2019 upsetting Kenya Prisons to finish second behind eventual champions General Service Unit (GSU).

“We had trained so hard for those play-offs. We were determined to qualify. There is something special about this team. When we set out to achieve something nothing can stop us,” said Thuita who was named best receiver in the 2019 play-offs.

This year, KPA have picked from where they left, leading the local league standings with 19 points from seven matches played.

Thuita has credited KPA’s resurgence to their “master tactician” Mulinge. On paper, Mulinge has been in charge at KPA for almost two years but has strictly coached the team for less than six months with Covid-19 having scraped off the 2020 season.

“Mulinge is an experienced coach and he knows what it takes to win at the highest level. He has changed our mentality and our fighting spirit shows the transformation. He has worked on our front and court defence, coordination between setter and attackers, services - that’s why we are a more cohesive unit,” said Thuita.

Personal mission

Whether the Dockers can replicate their form in the local league in the Africa Club Championships due next week in Tunis, Tunisia remains to be seen. But Thuita, who is enjoying an Indian summer at the coastal side, believes they can be the tournament’s dark horses.

“We have four players – myself, Sam Juma, Enock Mogeni, Sammy Ngeny - who have played volleyball at international level so that means two thirds of the team will be in familiar territory.

“We just need to play to our strengths which are services, reception, blocks and back court defence. Many teams also don’t know what to expect from us so that’s a plus,” offered Thuita.

But Thuita will also be on a personal mission. In March 2011, during his second season in the Rwandan league, he did not travel with the champions for the Club Championships after the team failed to raise the fee required to field a foreigner in the competition.

Later that year, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. However, a change in APR’s transfer policy in 2012 saw the club opt against signing foreign players effectively denying their star Thuita another appearance at the continental showpiece while at his peak.

“I am in the form of my life perhaps even better than 2011 since I’m more experienced. I also have teammates that trust me a lot and that gives me a lot of confidence heading into this tournament. I can handle the pressure better and carry this team on my back,” said Thuita, seemingly hungrier than he was a decade ago.

“I’ve played volleyball for almost 20 years now so it will be quite unfortunate to leave the scene without a legacy. I want to gauge myself against the best in Africa and challenge even for an individual award,” remarked Thuita.  

When the draw is done on Saturday, Thuita will likely crave a meeting against his former employers APR at least to show them class is permanent, or rather old is gold.

Only time will tell. Can the games begin?