Thika United History

Thika United Football Club was founded in December 1999, under the name Beirut FC and was simply a local Estate team, loosely organized by several local benefactors with the aim of getting the local youth occupied and away from criminal activities. The idea was hatched by the current Chief Executive Officer Mr. Mike Muriuki and was supported by among others Mr. Abdulkadir Ali both former players.(Muriuki with KTM FC and Abdulkaril with Thika Posta FC)

The two were later joined by Mr. Peter Waweru and Mr. Omar Kinyanjui, the later also a former football player with KTM Foundation FC (a second stream side of the defunct KTM FC).

The current management took over in May 2001 just when the team had been promoted to the Nationwide League, save for the founder and C.E.O who has been with the team all through. Through sheer grit, willpower, wise investment in players and coaching staff, the team beat all the odds of inexperience at high level football to gain promotion to the coveted Premier league. Astonishingly, the club did this after one season in the Nationwide League.

Thika Town, once described as the Birmingham of Kenya due to the conflagration of industries that dotted the town. Indeed, the last football team of note or compare to the current Thika United was sponsored by one of the now defunct Industry KTM- Kenya Taitex Mills!

KTM FC at the height of the 80s missed the National League Trophy by a whisker to such giants of football as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards. KTM FC had several of its players in the National squad.

The club subsequently folded after its chief sponsor, Kenya Taitex Mills went under following the liberalization of the cloth market and the influx of second-hand clothes (Mitumba).

Thika United is a community-based team, which means that it is not owned by any corporate body (Company). Fans, with dreams of the glory years of KTM have come out in large numbers to support the team.

During the 2001 -2002 and 2002-2003 seasons, the club was sponsored by Italian pharmaceutical company, Medisca Farmaceutici and Italian sports designers KAPPA.

For the 2003-2006 seasons, Thika United was proud to play under the banner of Brookside Dairy Ltd and was dressed on and off the pitch by world renowned soccer designers UMBRO, courtesy the management of Brookside Dairy.

Currently, Thika United FC has partnered with several other organizations to run youth development projects www.michezoyouth.com, has facilitated a feeding program for the very disadvantaged street children with Action For Children In Conflict who are based in Thika.

As it focuses on the youth the club thanks to Brookside dairy recruits young players at National ball games and sign them up to play in the greatest team in Kenya with a vision of impacting the youth.

The broad aims of Thika United Football club still remain soccer-based but its affiliation and impact on the community cannot be underestimated, because of this, the club chooses to be in the forefront of community/social activities.

Thika United’s ultimate objectives are to attain the highest accolade of African and Kenyan Football and be crowned Premier League champions and represent Kenya in the CAF Africa Champions League. Thika united sees a bright future for Kenyan football despite the hardships it has gone through.

Thika United F.C. has been a contributor to the national squad National Squad-Harambee Stars-with names like Hadji Mwachoki, David Okello and Abdalla Juma Abdalla, Ivan Maimba, Denis Odhiambo Omino, Nicholas Muyoti

It has also largely created towards the Under 20 National Team with names like Stephen Waroro and Francis Chege and the junior under Seventeen team with names like Francis Kahata and John Mbugua

To quote the club Chairman, Bold ambitions indeed , but whilst Thika United is a relatively new name , KTM Thika once provided glory to the town of Thika as it proved to be a dominant force in the 80s. Thika United intend to finish the job and achieve that elusive Championship and much, much more.

Our Sponsors

Thika United FC is currently sponsored by Brookside dairy.

Brookside Dairy is a private company founded in 1993 following the deregulation of the dairy sector in the early 1990s. Based in Ruiru, about 20 kilometres from Nairobi, Brookside produces superior quality milk, sourced from 80,000 suppliers. 7% of these are commercial farmers and the remainders are small scale producers.

The widespread lack of refrigeration facilities means that timely delivery is essential. Brookside employs an army of delivery personnel, including more than 1,000 ‘bicycle boys’ in the Nairobi area alone.

Its sales depots now stretch from Mombasa on the East coast to Kisumu on the shores of Lake Victoria in the West. As demand outstrips supply it plans to introduce both morning and evening milk collections, potentially doubling smallholder income, and increase the number of collection centers.