Ulinzi Stars F.C.

{{Infobox football club

| clubname = Ulinzi Stars

| image = Ulinzi_Stars_FC_logo.png

| image_size = 250px

| fullname = Ulinzi Stars Football Club

| nickname = KDF
Ulinzi

| founded = {{start date and years ago|1995|df=yes}}

| ground = Afraha Stadium
Nakuru, Kenya

| capacity = 8,200

| owner = Kenya Defence Forces

| mgrtitle = Head coach

| manager = Stephen Ocholla{{cite web |title=Captain Opuko returns, Nyaudo is promoted in Technical Bench changes |url=https://www.ulinzistarsfc.com/captain-opuko-returns-nyaudo-is-promoted-in-technical-bench-changes/ |access-date=21 August 2021 |archive-date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821203101/https://www.ulinzistarsfc.com/captain-opuko-returns-nyaudo-is-promoted-in-technical-bench-changes/ |url-status=live }}

| league = Kenyan Premier League

| season = 2023–24

| position = KPL, 12th

}}

Ulinzi Stars Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nakuru, Kenya. They compete in the Kenyan Premier League, where they won three consecutive titles from 2003 to 2005. They are the only team to have done so, along with AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia, and won their most recent league title in 2010.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesk/kenyachamp.html |title=Kenya – List of Champions |access-date=2024-06-28 |archive-date=2022-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912040437/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesk/kenyachamp.html |url-status=live }}

History

Ulinzi Stars represent Kenya's Defence forces (the Kenya Army, the Airforce and the Kenya Navy). It was formed in 1995 when several military sides were combined. These teams were:{{Cite web |url=http://www.ulinzistarsfc.com/home/history |title=Ulinzi Stars website – history |access-date=2012-04-17 |archive-date=2014-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307191513/http://www.ulinzistarsfc.com/home/history/ |url-status=live }}

Waterworks
Scarlet (Third Battalion of the Kenya Rifles, based in Lanet, Nakuru),
Kahawa United (Kahawa Barracks, Kahawa, Nairobi)
Silver Strikers (12th Engineers, Thika),
Kenya Navy (Mombasa)
Spitfire (Kenya Air Force, Moi Air Base, Nairobi).

Ulinzi have played in the Afraha Stadium since 2004, after moving from Thika. They won the Kenyan Sports Team of the Year award in 2010.The Standard, December 11, 2010: [http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/InsidePage.php?id=2000024398&cid=39&story=Rudisha%20and%20Lagat%20crowned%20Soya%20best%20athletes Rudisha and Lagat crowned Soya best athletes]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}

The team doubles as the Kenya national military football team, which qualified for the 2011 Military World Games.Daily Nation website, December 14, 2008: [http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/football/-/1224/502048/-/4exq6p/-/index.html Ulinzi epitomise KPL’s strength] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229053423/https://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/football/-/1224/502048/-/4exq6p/-/index.html |date=2019-12-29 }}

=Other clubs=

Ulinzi used to have a successful basketball team, Ulinzi Warriors, until 2007 when it was disbanded, despite being the reigning national champion, having won five consecutive league titles.Daily Nation, May 4, 2007: [http://www.propertykenya.com/news/469079-champions-ulinzi-and-telkom-pull-out-of-basketball-league Champions Ulinzi And Telkom Pull Out of Basketball League] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224234534/http://www.propertykenya.com/news/469079-champions-ulinzi-and-telkom-pull-out-of-basketball-league |date=2012-02-24 }} They also had a rugby team, Ulinzi RFC, but was disbanded.Daily Nation, June 2, 2009: Rugby is the game and Injera man of moment] They also had volleyball[http://www.cavb.org/2006/07/17.html 2006 Volleyball World Championships: Kenya Names Provisional Squad of 22 players] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907000922/http://www.cavb.org/2006/07/17.html |date=2008-09-07 }} and handballKBC, December 13, 2006: [http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=39901 Kenya's cereals team retain men handball title] teams.