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The Kenyan Premier League is gearing up for a tough second half of the season. Champions Gor Mahia finds themselves fifth in the standings trailing leaders Tusker by five points. Kogalo has three games in hand due to their involvement in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The Green Army has been dominant in the past decade, winning six titles in the process. Their fierce rivals AFC Leopards, who are the second most successful club in Kenyan football history last won the league title in 1998.
Gor Mahia, who have won the Kenyan Premier League title in the last three consecutive seasons will be hoping to win their 19th title this season. The title race is still wide open with only seven points separating leaders Tusker and sixth-placed Western Stima.
So far, there have been many impressive performances by the teams, most notably Tusker FC's 7-0 thumping of struggling Chemelil Sugar. The exceptional performances by teams in the Kenyan Premier League this season are due to the quality of the players in the division.
Here, we take a look at five players who have been lighting up the Kenyan Premier League so far this season.
#5 Benson Omala (Western Stima)
Benson Omala has taken the Kenyan Premier League by storm. The teenager, who is a form three student at Kisumu Day High School, has been a sensation for Kisumu-based Western Stima.
The Kenyan-U20 youngster has bagged impressive seven goals this season in the Kenyan Premier League including a delicious hattrick against Zoo Kericho, a statement performance that alerted Kenyan Premier League giants about his great potential.
Western Stima has been like a feeder team to 18-time Kenyan Premier League Champions, Gor Mahia, and Benson Omala could be the next in line to swap the lake-side club to join the Green Army. Omala is 18 years old and is expected to develop into one of the best strikers in Kenya.
#4 Oscar Musa Wamalwa (Ulinzi Stars)
Oscar Wamalwa is leading Ulinzi Stars' pursuit of Kenyan Premier League title since 2010. The striker has bagged eight goals so far for Dancun Nyaudo's side and will hope to continue his goal-scoring run in the second half of the season.
He has scored a series of match-winning goals earning points for the Soldiers as they sit fourth in the Kenyan Premier League table.
He played a leading role for Harambee Stars in the recently concluded CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup where he won the Golden Boot after scoring three goals in the tournament. He has set his sights on partnering Michael Olunga up-front for the national team in major tournaments.
His goalscoring touch and predatory instincts make him a lethal striker and will get better as the season progress. The striker has a vision of bagging the Golden Boot at the end of the season though he faces stiff competition from John Makwatta and Timothy Otieno who are currently ahead of him with two goals in the goal-scoring charts.
#3 Kenneth Muguna (Gor Mahia)
Kenneth Muguna has put aside his failed stint in the Albanian Superliga with KF Tirana to get to back to his best at Gor Mahia. The former Western Stima midfielder, who was appointed Gor Mahia captain at the beginning of the season, has been leading by example.
He's been running the show for Kogalo in the middle of the park with assured performances as they pursue a fourth consecutive Kenyan Premier League title.
Muguna is a freekick specialist and has scored crucial goals for Kogalo in their bid to win their 19th Kenyan Premier League title. He has stepped up in a period when Gor Mahia lost Jacques Tuyisenge to Petro Atletico and Meddie Kagere to Tanzanian giants Simba.
Despite being a midfielder, Kenneth Muguna is Gor Mahia's top scorer this season in the Kenyan Premier League as he has found the back of the net 6 times. He's earned 7 caps for the Harambee Stars and his top form this season secured him a place in the CECAFA Senior Challenge squad where he managed to score one goal.
#2 John Makwatta (AFC Leopards)
The former Ulinzi Stars striker has been in top form for an average AFC Leopards side this season in the Kenyan Premier League and has been the reason why they are in the top half of the Kenyan Premier League table. The striker has been a beast this season.
The 2016 Golden Boot winner is on course of beating his goal-scoring record as he is only five away from the 15 goals he scored then. Makwatta broke the Ingwe record by scoring their first hattrick in 10 years when he demolished Zoo Kericho.
At 24, Makwatta has already represented five clubs including a stint at Kuwait side Al Nasr and Zambian Side Buildcon. Locally, he played for Nairobi City Stars, Ulinzi Stars and now he is playing for AFC Leopards.
The KPL joint top scorer will be hoping to continue with his goal-scoring run to help AFC Leopards in the second-leg of the Kenyan Premier League. Ingwe hierarchy is supposed to build their team around their prolific striker.
#1 Timothy Otieno (Tusker FC)
Timothy Otieno is finally living to the hype he had as a youngster when he broke into the first team at Gor Mahia. Despite having a successful loan spell at Posta Rangers, Timothy Otieno failed to nail down a starting berth at Kogalo.
He was deemed surplus at Gor Mahia in due to the form of former Rwandese duo Jaques Tuyisenge and Meddie Kagere. He joined Tusker FC on a Bosman deal in 2017 searching for regular first-team action.
The striker is finally showing Gor Mahia that they were supposed to tie him down to a long-term contract instead of letting him leave on a free transfer. He is on top of the Kenyan Premier League goal scoring charts with ten goals already.
His goalscoring streak has propelled Tusker FC to top of the Kenyan Premier League as they are rooting for their first title since 2012. Otieno's red-hot form secured him a chance in the Harambee Stars squad for the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.
The Tusker's No.10 has been the best player in the league this and will be looking to win the Golden Boot at the end of the season.
