Episodes Summaries for The Team in Kenya

Season 1

Synopsis

This television series is a metaphor of Kenyan society. The team members and the coach have been brought together from many of Kenya’s tribal groups to play on a co-ed football league. The league has been formed and financed by a group of wealthy international philanthropists and businessmen who believe sport will be a way to neutralize the ethnic hatred that shook Kenya after the presidential elections of 2008. The characters are from broken families, even as Kenya itself is a broken country. The team becomes a surrogate family for the players, who each want a “family” but do not know how to reach out and get it. Each of the players, as well as the Coach, struggle to overcome the ethnic hatred that sparked the violent confrontations after the elections. The purpose of the series is to show that it is possible for people to overcome their differences for the benefit of all.

Stereotyping (Episode 1)

Players from all over Kenya have been chosen to be on a co-ed team called Imani FC put together by Bukenya, a wealthy philanthropist who has a reputation for controversy.  A clear distinction of economic and tribal lines is drawn when the team members are forced to share rooms on a randomly based system. Kezia and Tina have to share a room, and the two get off on the wrong foot, with Kezia clearly being rude to Tina. Trouble starts when one of the team members makes an ethnic slur during practice that almost results in a fistfight. This really irritates the Coach who tells them the only way they will survive on the team is by putting their tribal differences aside and playing as a unit. 

Bribery (2)

The players of Imani FC convince Coach to allow them to vote for a Captain because that process is democratic. Abbas, who is from a wealthy family, immediately decides to bribe the other players so that he is ensured  victory. All but one (Johari) take the bribe from Abbas. Abbas wins by a wide margin against Kezia and Johari. As a reward, Abbas offers to take the Team out to celebrate his victory. His plan is to have all the team members sneak out to a nightclub -- an outright violation of the rules of the camp.  Coach discovers that they are missing from the camp, and knows where to find them.  He catches them red-handed as they drink and dance the night away.

Leadership (3)

Coach is angry with the players and especially with Abbas, the new team captain, for breaking camp rules. They all look unfit to play a friendly match that is to take place later in the afternoon. The Coach picks seven of the team members who look better, leaving out Ben and Oli who are clearly nursing hangovers.  The match  goes on as scheduled, and within a few minutes the other team scores. Imani FC is doing badly; they barely get past the defenders of the opposing team. Abbas asks Priest to foul one of the lady players. Priest is only too glad to do it. He gets a Red card and has to leave the pitch. The Team loses to their opponents.  

Differences (4)

This episode is about the ethnic, class and gender differences between the players. Each of the Team members has a troubled past, which they carry onto the pitch. Johari struggles with nightmares of what happened to her family; she talks to her twin brother Ben who tries to calm her down. Tina also has recurring nightmares about a rape that she endured. Ben is caught sleeping in by Coach when others are in practice.  Tina reacts violently when Ben playfully lifts her T-shirt. The Team plays another friendly match. This time the boys clearly refuse to pass the ball to the girls, costing them the match. At the end of the day, Abbas is demoted and Johari is named the Captain.  

Assumptions (5)

Coach is pleased with Johari’s performance as Captain thus far. He assumes she’s from his tribe, but when he finds out she is from the tribe that killed his wife, it totally throws him off. Johari asks for permission to host a small party to celebrate the victory, and Coach agrees on the condition that the team not get out of hand. Each of the team members will have to contribute 500 shillings to meet the costs of the party; some members of the team, like Tina, can’t pull their own financial weight. Abbas and Priest break the rules by bringing alcohol and drugs. Coach assumes Beth and Bukenya have a personal relationship that goes beyond the pitch. Ben wants to dance with Tina but when she refuses, he won’t take no for an answer. When Priest comes to her defense, Ben resorts to name calling and a fight breaks out. 

Justice (6)

Kezia and Oli happen upon a group of people beating up a young man. Kezia realizes that the young man is her brother, Rodez. The two try to stop the crowd from beating him up. Rodez is rushed to the hospital but since neither Kezia nor Oli have any money, the doctors refuse to attend to him.. After members of the Team are called, Coach and Bukenya contribute money to pay the hospital bill. Oli struggles to come to terms with the cruelty of mob justice. His belief in the rule of law is crushed, and he starts a bonfire with his law books. 

Relationships (7)

Different circumstances draw the players and Coach together. Oli can’t shake the images of Rodez’s attack. Coach reaches out to Oli and tells him about what happened to his wife. Additionally, Kezia confides in Beth her fears about what might happen to her brother. Lulu is quite taken with Johari and the two talk about Johari’s life in the IDP Camp. The police show up at camp and question Priest, who has not been truthful with his teammates about his shady past. The relationship between Coach and his mother is tested when she points out that he should not let Johari and Lulu interact; she also makes known her discomfort of having Johari, who is of a different tribe as the Captain of the Team. The relationship between Coach and the team is tested after they discover they are being shortchanged in their allowance, when Bukenya claims at a Press Conference that the team members each get 2000 KES when they really have been getting just 1500 KES.

Rumors (8)

The team doesn’t wait for explanations before going on strike after finding out about their allowances. Their first suspect is Coach. They gang up and march to the Administration block to demand their money. Coach and his assistant try to calm the team down but they are too agitated to listen. Johari tries to talk some sense into them but they shoot her down. There are ideas to burn the place down. It is, however, the accountant, who happens to be Bukenya’s relative, that is arrested. Calm returns.

Unintended Consequences (9)

In a promotional ”peace tournament” in one of the slums, many other issues arise that challenge the players’ ability to keep the peace. During the match Tina sees a cop standing on the sidelines, then she has a panic attack and has to be pulled off the field. She accuses the cop of having raped her during the post-election violence.  Priest is confronted by thugs who want to draw him back to crime. He is forced to pull a gun on them with a clear message that he is no longer interested in selling drugs. After the friendly match, a small scuffle between a man and his girlfriend ensues. Abbas tries to defend the woman but the result is a big fight between the two teams. It takes the effort of Ghost Mulee to subdue the players.

Blame and Retribution (10)

With the help of Beth, Tina decides to file charges against the cop who raped her even though much time has passed. Abbas has to be dropped from the team as Bukenya insists that someone has to be punished for the fight that broke out after the tournament. Oli and his future stepfather discuss their family situation and come to a resolution. In contrast, Abbas and his father blame one another and their relationship deteriorates.  Abbas later decides to leave the Imani football club for the good of his teammates. 

Risks and Consequences (11)

Mamu asks Priest to pull one last job. She promises to leave him alone once the job is done. Unfortunately Priest is murdered; the news of his death devastates the Team. The team gathers to re-live the moments they spent with Priest. They all acknowledge that Priest was trying to reform. Coach and Johari decide to keep the gun a secret as they do not want anyone to think of revenge. 

Justice and Forgiveness (12)

This episode shows Tina standing up for herself in court and confronting her rapist. The court does not rule in her favor; Tina and the team members are disappointed. Kezia is angry with Priest because she feels he lied to his friends. The team members and a host of Priest’s friend attend Priest’s funeral. During the funeral a strange group of “Rasta” men appear all dressed in black and chanting. They are a very different group from the rest of the mourners. The reverend allows them to express themselves even though they pour alcohol over his grave. 

Playing as a Team vs. Winning (13)

The season finale. Relationships and close ties have developed over the course of the series. Tina and Kezia are good friends;  there are less fights and tribal remarks. Imani FC plays the final determining match, and they decide to honor Priest by wearing black arm bands. Bukenya is not for the idea but decides to wear the arm band anyway. Coach’s mom is still not pleased about Johari and Kezia, and makes snide remarks every chance she gets.  Lulu asks her: “What makes us Kenyan?” Ben tells the group that he wishes that Abbas were there. Abbas later shows up and they play their final match. The Team loses out on the championship but ends up winning the “Best Sportsmanship Award”.

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