Kenya Police Bullets’ quest to qualify for the CAF Women’s Champions League for the first time ended in heartbreak on Monday after they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies in the 2026 CECAFA Women’s Club Championship final at Kigali Pelé Stadium in Rwanda.
The FKF WPL pushed the Ugandan side all the way in a fiercely contested encounter that remained goalless after 90 minutes, forcing the final into extra time with the coveted CAF Women’s Champions League ticket still up for grabs.
The decisive moment arrived in the 100th minute when Kawempe Muslim captain Agnes Nabukenya found the breakthrough, scoring early in the first half of extra time to send the Ugandan champions into their first-ever CAF Women’s Champions League.
Police defeat brought a painful end to what had been an impressive regional campaign. Having maintained a perfect record on their way to the final, Bujego charges had looked increasingly confident after opening the tournament with a statement 2-1 victory over Tanzanian heavyweights Simba Queens.
They followed that result with a convincing 3-1 win over Burundi’s Top Girls Academy, with Martha Amunyolete Emedot emerging as one of the tournament’s key performers. The victory secured Police’s passage to the semi-finals, where they produced their most emphatic display of the competition.
South Sudan’s Yei Joint Stars were swept aside 5-0, with Tereza Engesha opening the scoring before Emedot struck twice. Lorna Nyarinda added a spectacular free-kick, while substitute Rebecca Okwaro completed the rout late in the match.
That dominant semi-final performance placed Police Bullets within 90 minutes of history, but Kawempe Muslim proved a formidable final opponent.
The Ugandan champions arrived at the final having also enjoyed an impressive campaign. They began their Group B journey with a 1-0 victory over Commercial Bank of Ethiopia before producing an emphatic 8-0 demolition of Ujeco of Djibouti. They then defeated CBE 3-0 in the semi-final to book their place in the decisive showdown with Police.
The narrow defeat means Police Bullets will have to wait longer for their maiden appearance at the CAF Women’s Champions League.
It is the third successive campaign in which the Kenyan side have fallen short of reaching Africa’s premier women’s club competition. Police Bullets finished runners-up in the regional qualifiers in 2024, while in 2025 they progressed to the knockout stage before their campaign ended in the semi-finals.
The 2026 edition had offered renewed hope after the Kenyan champions began strongly and carried their momentum deep into the tournament. However, Nabukenya’s extra-time strike ultimately ended their ambitions and handed Kawempe Muslim a historic qualification.
Kawempe Muslim, the victory represents a landmark achievement, earning the Ugandan club its first-ever ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League. For Police Bullets, it is another reminder of how fine the margins are at regional level, with their impressive campaign ultimately ending one step short of the continental stage.
