Written by Maureen Onyango, CFK Africa Communications and Advocacy Lead
Ruth (Rehana) Mueni was in primary school when she first stepped onto a dusty football field in Kibera. At the time, girls playing football was unusual – and often discouraged. But Ruth loved the game enough to push past the barriers and join the boys on the field.
Growing up as an adolescent girl in Laini Saba village meant navigating harsh realities: friends leaving school due to early pregnancy, constant worry over being able to afford school fees, and a lack of sanitary towels that made life exceptionally difficult during menstruation. Football offered something different. On the field, Ruth was not defined by hardship. She had purpose.
Her commitment and persistence on the pitch paid off. In 2003, at 13 years old, she was recruited as one of the founding members of CFK Africa’s first girls’ soccer team, the CFK Queens. Being selected for CFK Queens was the first time someone publicly recognized her potential as a female athlete, sparking a lifelong commitment to the game, to girls’ soccer, and to her community.
CFK’s support extended far beyond coaching. CFK worked directly with families to address the root barriers that kept girls off the pitch, including cultural expectations that girls should work rather than play sports. Ruth still remembers how transformative it was for CFK to sensitize parents, helping them understand that girls deserved the same opportunities as boys.
After completing high school, Ruth moved into leadership roles. She coordinated sports activities, coached younger players, and advocated for girls’ needs in the community, even traveling to Canada to fundraise for girls’ football.
More than two decades after she first laced her boots, Ruth’s journey has come full circle. Today, she is the elected Women’s Representative for the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Nairobi West Branch, working to ensure that girls’ teams have functioning leagues and opportunities to compete. Ruth coordinates leagues across Nairobi County, supporting 18 teams at the county level and 16 at the regional level.
She also volunteers on CFK’s sports coordinating team, giving back to the program where she got her start. She coaches on occasion for Kibera Soccer Women FC, CFK’s professional women’s team, and she supports CFK’s girls empowerment team, working with teenage girls to teach life skills, including how to prevent teenage pregnancy.
Ruth knows her path could have looked very different if CFK had not invested in her early life. Now she chooses to be that figure for others, conducting introductory coaching courses across the six constituencies she represents, helping girls transition into leadership roles within the sport. She offers mentorship and guidance on how to begin and grow. When girls express interest in skills such as first aid or other professional courses, she connects them with county programs, partner organizations, and training opportunities. When they need sanitary towels, she advocates on their behalf.
Women’s football in Kenya is growing, but access remains uneven, particularly in low-income communities where resources are scarce, and girls face competing pressures at home.
Ruth dreams of stronger leagues for girls, more opportunities in coaching, and a future where young players do not have to struggle for basic necessities just to stay in the game. She wants to leave a legacy in which girls are not only allowed to participate, but are supported to lead.
For girls in Kibera, seeing someone who started exactly where they are now holding a leadership role carries powerful meaning. Ruth’s presence on the sidelines of local matches sends a clear message: their dreams are not unrealistic.
***In honor of our 25th anniversary in 2026, this story is #8 of 25 Stories of Change, shared throughout the year and featuring youth and communities whose lives have been transformed by CFK Africa.