Butula aim to reclaim schools rugby 15s title
Butula Boys High School rugby team from Western Region perform their "haka" winning the Brookside Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Term One National Games rugby finals match against All Saints Embu High School from Eastern Region played at Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu County on April 29, 2023. Butula boys won 38-0.
What you need to know:
- Butula Boys won their maiden national title last year in Eldoret, but lost it this year to All Saints High School. Last year, they won silver at the East Africa Games in Rwanda but were disqualified during this year’s showpiece in Mbale, Uganda.
- Meanwhile, Koyonzo Boys coach Eliud Okwemba has set his sights on winning the school’s first national 15s title. “We’ve been training hard despite lacking camps. This time, we aim to lift the title,” he said.
Rugby powerhouse Butula Boys High School are laying the groundwork to reclaim the national 15s rugby title at the 2025 Kenya Secondary School Games.
Under new head coach Almasa Bonfotra, the team is currently camping at Kisumu Boys High School during the National Sports Talent Camp organised by the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) in partnership with the Ministries of Sports and Education.
Bonfotra, an English Literature teacher who previously coached Koyonzo Boys High School, joined Butula in the second term of this year, replacing Shimenga Livondo, who has moved to a coaching position in the UK.
“The journey for next year’s school games has already began. As last year’s runners-up, we know teams will prepare for us, so we must stay ahead. Our training started early, and we hope to maintain momentum once schools reopen,” Bonfotra told Nation Sport yesterday.
Bonfotra brings a wealth of experience, having guided Koyonzo Boys to national 7s titles in 2022 and 2023. He also helped them win the East Africa Games in Rwanda last year. However, transitioning to Butula came with its own challenges.
“My predecessor left a strong team, but the coaching gap created a vacuum. I found a young sevens team that lacked strength to compete with regional powerhouses like Koyonzo, Vihiga Boys, and Mukumu Boys. Nevertheless, I guided the 15s team to the East Africa Games in Uganda in August,” Bonfotra explained.
Key players under Bonfotra’s mentorship include Adrian Kwesa, Derrick Ouma, Michael Macharia, Doncharlton Musiomi, and Aaron Gerald Makaka, who are on the verge of securing university scholarships with KCB.
“I believe in nurturing talent while helping the boys grow academically. We plan to recruit more Form Ones next year, and we currently have about 100 boys playing rugby. We start with 15s in the first term and transition to 7s in the second term,” he added.
Butula Boys won their maiden national title last year in Eldoret, but lost it this year to All Saints High School. Last year, they won silver at the East Africa Games in Rwanda but were disqualified during this year’s showpiece in Mbale, Uganda.
Meanwhile, Koyonzo Boys coach Eliud Okwemba has set his sights on winning the school’s first national 15s title. “We’ve been training hard despite lacking camps. This time, we aim to lift the title,” he said.
“We have dominated sevens rugby over the last two years and we now want to also have success in the longer version of the game so that we can make a name for ourselves. You will see a different team next year,” added Okwemba.
