Mombasa-based Bandari FC announced on Monday the appointment of Charles Okere as their new head coach, bringing the CAF A-licensed tactician to the coastal club five months after he parted ways with Tusker FC.
The 45-year-old was sacked by the Brewers on February 17, 2026, ending an eight-year association with the club that began in 2018. Tusker replaced him with Frenchman Julien Mette, who joined from Congolese side AS Otoho after leaving Oyo for Nairobi.
Okere rose through the ranks at Tusker FC, initially serving as assistant coach to four-time Kenya Premier League (KPL) title-winning coach Robert Matano before taking over as head coach in 2021. During his tenure, he guided Tusker to two league titles and a fourth-place finish in the 2024/25 season.
Beyond club football, Okere previously served as head coach of the Harambee Starlets, Kenya's women's national team, where he oversaw a memorable 15-1 aggregate victory over South Sudan in the 2021 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers.
The Nairobi-born former winger, an alumnus of Ofafa Jericho High School, also had a successful spell at Vihiga Queens, leading the club to continental qualification through the CECAFA route.
At Bandari, Okere joins a club that finished 12th in the league with 44 points from 34 matches. The Dockers managed only nine wins, drew 17 matches and lost eight, highlighting a season in which they struggled to convert draws into victories.
His immediate task will be to stabilize a side that Bernard Mwalala built on defensive solidity but which struggled to turn strong defensive displays into wins. Okere will be expected to sharpen the team's attack and transform those draws into victories.