The fact that only two players in the current Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) squad featured in the Kenya Cup during the 2022/23 season speaks volumes.
Prop captain Collins Ngoko and half-back Veron Kaburu are aiming to lead MMUST back to glory when they face Kenya Cup champions Kabras Sugar at the Kakamega Showground on Saturday.
The university side was relegated after the 2022/23 season, as many players who had graduated moved to other clubs.
“Yes, we might not have Kenya Cup experience, but we have the talent to keep us in the top-flight league,” said Ngoko.
The fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce student has captained MMUST for three years and noted that many players leave every season, forcing the institution to start again.
“We have been eager to return to the Kenya Cup, which is part of the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship. Now the time has come,” said Ngoko.
MMUST topped the 2024/25 KRU Championship regular season with 48 points from 10 wins and one loss, before thrashing Zetech University Oaks 46-9 in the semi-finals to return to the Kenya Cup after two seasons.
However, they lost to the Daystar University Falcons 39–12 in the KRU Championship final. Both teams qualified for the Kenya Cup, with the Falcons achieving this for the first time in their 30-year history.
“We worked hard and believed we could achieve it. We knew that playing in the top league would raise our standards, unlike in the championship, where the level of competition is low,” said Ngoko, noting that they are back to compete.
Davis Chenge (left) and Dawin Mukidza of KCB tackle Collins Ngoko of Masinde Muliro University during their Kenya Cup match at KCB Club Ruaraka on January 22,2022.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
“We aim to reach the play-offs. This could be my last season at Must, as I’ll have finished my studies by next year. I may stay or I may not. That’s why I want to make it memorable.”
Coach John Asila is confident that his team, which featured in the Kenya Cup for the first time in 2021, is up to the task and is promising upsets during the season.
“We fought for this space through blood and sweat. Not playing for two seasons has made us hungrier,” said Asila. ‘It’s been hard for us to keep players we nurture after they leave college. We are always rebuilding, but that is our contribution to the game.”
Asila said the force behind MMUST’s resurgence is discipline, hard work, and a positive attitude, and he praised the university management for supporting the team.
He said the university lecturers’ strike had affected their pre-season training, but added that they had used the time to train anyway.
“We have had 12 weeks of training, so we believe we will perform well, having played in the top-flight league before.”
Esau Otieno of KCB vies for the ball with Felix Wamacho (left) and Reinad Ngaira of Masinde Muliro University during their Kenya Cup match at KCB Club Ruaraka on January 22,2022.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
Unlike many college sides, MMUST haven’t shopped for players, opting to stick with their students. “The dynamics are different with learning institutions that rely on students, unlike top clubs such as Kabras, who also draw on our talent pool,” said Asila.
Former Western Bulls prop Nelson Omukuba, former Mwamba half-back Simon Buluku, and Shamberere hooker Elly Makotsi will feature for MMUST.
