Champs Kabras cruise as Mwamba and Pirates are relegated from Kenya Cup
Mwamba RFC players during their Kenya Cup league match against Black Blad at RFUEA grounds in Nairobi on March 8, 2025.
What you need to know:
- It is the first time Mwamba will compete in the second-tier rugby league since their formation in 1977.
- Menengai Oilers thrashed hosts South Coast Pirates 35-0 to send the first timers back to the second division.
The final day of the 2024-2025 Kenya Cup regular season served fans with some nail-biting action, with KCB beaten to the tape in the race for the league’s top spot by Kabras Sugar 25-17 in a see-saw battle at Kakamega Showground on Saturday.
Former champions Mwamba, battling to avoid relegation, dug deep to stun Blak Blad 29-15 but it was not enough as they went under alongside newcomers South Coast Pirates.
Kelvin Nyundo, Steven Sikuta, and Anthony Omondi grabbed a try each for Kulabu. Omondi also added three conversions and four penalties, but it was not enough as they had needed a bonus point victory to guarantee their status at the top.
Byron Webo of Mwamba goes for a line out under pressure from Peter Musyoki of Blak Blad during a Kenya Cup league match at RFUEA grounds in Nairobi on March 8, 2025.
It is the first time Mwamba will compete in the second-tier Kenya Rugby Union Championship since their formation in 1977.
Mwamba won the league in 1983 and have regularly contributed star players to the national teams including former World Rugby Sevens Series top try scorer Collins Injera.
Menengai Oilers thrashed hosts South Coast Pirates 35-0 to send the first timers back to the second division.
Reigning champions Kabras Sugar won the rights to host the final, should they reach that stage -- for the fourth consecutive year after dislodging KCB from the top spot with a hard-earned win in Kakamega.
David Ochieng (left) of Black Blad tussles for the ball with Brian Mutugi of Mwamba during a Kenya Cup league match at RFUEA grounds in Nairobi on March 8, 2025.
The sugar millers, who won the Kenya Cup in 2016, 2022, 2023, and 2024, won the top-of-the-table clash with tries from Kevin Wekesa and six penalties from Ntabeni Dukisa, who also made one successful conversion in the match, where the lead was exchanged five times.
Kenya Shujaa ace Wekesa gave Kabras the opening try in 10 minutes, which was converted after he capitalized on a KCB error inside their 22-metre box.
However, Kabras’s lead was short-lived as the bankers replied with a well-worked try from Austin Sikutwa for 7-7.
South African-born Kenya international Dukisa scored two penalties to put Kabras 13-7 up after Tyson Maina was penalized for infringement.
However, Griffin Musila responded with another try, which Sikutwa successfully converted to hand KCB a slim 14-13 lead. Dukisa restored the lead for Kabras with a penalty, but Sikutwa responded in the same fashion to see KCB 17-16 up.
Kabras narrowly led 19-17 at halftime after Dukisa added another penalty.
Dukisa rounded up the scoring with two penalties to maintain Kabras’s unbeaten record this season.
“The boys started the game well. In the first half, we put a lot of pressure on Kabras. However, in the second half, we made so many mistakes in our territory that cost us a win,” said KCB head coach Oliver Mang’eni.