The 26 year-old trounced Posta Rangers goalkeeper Patrick Matasi in a run-off vote to become the soldiers second ever recipient of the gong after John Makwata who won in 2015.
The award comes with Sh100,000 and a 49-inch television set from South Korean manufacturing conglomerate LG Electronics while the rest of Ulinzi platoon will share Sh50,000 separately awarded to teammates of winning players.
In a congested month that Ulinzi Stars played eight league matches winning three and drawing a similar number, Waruru weighed in with four eye catching goals including a brace against a woeful Mathare, who succumbed 5-1 to the soldiers’ might and point winning efforts in stalemates against Tusker and Western Stima.
After coasting through initial list of nominated players, Waruru slipped into an inseparable shortlist of four that included Posta Rangers duo Jockins Atudo and Patrick Matasi and the free scoring AFC Leopards forward Gilbert Fiamenyo.
Statistics of the quartet in final shortlist failed to produce a clear winner prompting a vote by sports journalists. The initial poll still failed to separate the players as Matasi and Waruru tied on 21 points while Fiamenyo and Atudo fell by the wayside.
Waruru then edged Kenya’s reigning goal glove winner by a single vote in the run-off to claim 2017’s second gong. Nzoia Sugar defender Brian Otieno had scooped the March award.
“I came back to the league in April and did very well. I’m impressed by that performance and hope to keep scoring. Four goals in April alone and now eight in total. Hopefully, I will contest for golden boot come end of the season.
I have targets which currently are personal but I’m working towards them,” a jubilant Waruru said.
-The Star| Reporter