Mwamba RFC skipper Robert Sande beats KCB’s Jairus Owino to a line-out ball during a match at Nairobi Railway Club in 1986.
The Kenyan rugby community is mourning the loss of one of its most gregarious characters, Robert Otieno Sande—affectionately known as “Bob” —who passed away on Tuesday, at his home in Lwak, Siaya County. He was 58 years.
Bob’s final years were marked by a courageous battle for health. After suffering a major stroke in 2022, he relocated to Lwak to be closer to family and receive dedicated care.
Though he never fully regained his former vitality, he was surrounded by the love of his family, including his daughter.
To call Bob a mere rugby enthusiast would be to miss the point. He was the quintessential rugby rover—a man whose life and career were a journey through the heartlands of Kenyan club rugby, driven by a passion for the game and the camaraderie it fostered. His athletic journey began in the legendary halls of St Patrick’s Iten, where he developed a rare dual proficiency in hockey and rugby.
This talent followed him to the University of Nairobi's Kikuyu Campus in late 1988, where he trained as a teacher.
Thrust into the vibrant campus sports scene, he initially played hockey for the varsity men’s team and rugby for the mighty Mean Machine.
However, the immense demands of two sports and academics forced a choice. True to his character, Bob chose the rugged, glamorous appeal of the rugby pitch.
After graduation, a brief teaching stint at Pangani Girls High School was a prelude to his true calling in the world of commerce and sport.
He joined IDK as a brand salesman for Smirnoff in 1993, a role that suited his outgoing nature.
His rugby journey continued its nomadic path: a season with Mwamba RFC, before a move across town from the Railway Club to Parklands, where he found a home with Nondescripts RFC. A posting to Mombasa in 1995 saw him naturally gravitate to the coast, becoming a fixture for Mombasa RFC until 1998. Bob was a student of the game.
Nondescripts squad of 1995.
He took his rugby seriously, a versatile forward known for his accommodating flexibility, having manned nearly every position in the scrum except hooker. While he may not have cracked the elite national teams, he proudly played first-team rugby for every club he called home.
But Bob’s story extended far beyond the 80 minutes on the pitch.
An entrepreneur at heart, he left IDK early to build his own successful marketing company in the early 2000s.
Upon returning from Mombasa, his love for the game found a new expression. He picked up the whistle. For a decade, Bob gave back to the sport as a dedicated member of the Kenya Rugby Referees Society, guiding the next generation of players.
His entrepreneurial spirit also simmered away in an eatery near Yaya Centre in Kilimani, a venture that reflected his sociable nature.
Mwamba RFC skipper Robert Sande beats KCB’s Jairus Owino to a line-out ball during a match at Nairobi Railway Club in 1986.
And it is that gregarious spirit for which Bob will be most fondly remembered. He was notoriously social, the life of every gathering. Whether in the deep end of a post-match celebration or engaged in ordinary bar craft, Bob Sande was always in the thick of it—a man who cherished the community as much as the game itself.
He was, in every sense, a rover. From the hallowed grounds of Iten to the bustling clubs of Nairobi, the coastal pitches of Mombasa, and finally, to the quiet shores of Lwak.
Bob’s journey was one of passion, adaptability, and an unwavering love for his rugby family.
The final whistle has blown, but the echoes of his laughter and his commitment to the game will long resonate.
