Migori Youth FC have named Salim Babu as their new head coach, tasking the experienced tactician with steering the South Nyanza club through its first-ever season in the FKF Premier League.
The appointment brings considerable top-flight experience to a club stepping into unfamiliar territory. Babu becomes available after departing Nairobi City Stars in April, when his contract with the Nairobi-based side expired following an 18-month spell in charge.
Before that stint, he built a reputation as one of Kenyan football’s more well-travelled coaches, having previously led Sony Sugar, Western Stima, Kisumu All Stars, and Nzoia Sugar, in addition to working as an assistant coach at Wazito FC and later at Kenya Police, where he was promoted to head coach in 2024.
Beyond club football, Babu has also made his mark at the national team level, currently overseeing Kenya’s U17, U18, and U20 sides. His work with the age-group teams produced a landmark achievement in 2024, when he guided Kenya’s U20 side to the CECAFA championship final in Tanzania, making him the first coach to qualify a Kenyan team for continental age-group honours since 1979.
For Migori Youth, the hire marks the latest step in a remarkable rise. Founded in 2016, the club climbed steadily through Kenya’s lower divisions before securing automatic promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, following a 2-1 win over Equity FC that sealed the 2025/26 National Super League title. The promotion arrives alongside a broader transformation for the club, including an ongoing Sh700 million upgrade of Migori Stadium designed to bring the venue up to top-flight standards.
With Babu now in charge, Migori Youth will be hoping his blend of top-flight know-how and success developing young talent can help the newly promoted side establish itself in Kenya’s premier competition.
