Kenya Sevens head coach Kevin Wambua has named eight new players in his 25-man Shujaa squad for the 2025–2026 season.
The fresh call-ups include Kabras Sugar star Rayvon Ambale, Daniel Kipchirchir, Eugene Ojiambo, Victor Ochieng, Felix Odhiambo, Clinton Amukachi, Arnold Ogonda and David Nyangige.
The announcement comes shortly after World Rugby confirmed that Kenya will host the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS 2—a historic milestone for the country and the wider East African region.
Scheduled for February 14–15 next year, the Nairobi tournament will launch the second season of the restructured global sevens circuit, bringing top-tier international rugby to Kenyan soil and elevating the country’s profile on the world stage.
Kenya will host the first of three legs on the HSBC SVNS 2 calendar, followed by Uruguay on 21–22 March and Brazil on 28–29 March. In the men’s competition, Shujaa will face the USA, Uruguay and Germany.
The women’s category will feature the Kenya Lionesses, Brazil, China and Spain. Both groups will be joined by winners from the World Rugby Sevens Division Three tournament, set to take place in Dubai in January.
Shujaa head into the new season buoyed by recent performances. In October, they claimed the Safari Sevens title with a 14–7 victory over Shogun at Nyayo Stadium. The Morans also impressed, winning the Zambezi Sevens after beating the Zimbabwe Cheetahs 14–0 in the final.
The team has been in training ahead of the season-opener and will continue preparations until the Christmas break, before resuming in the new year. Speaking on Tuesday, director of national sevens teams Humphrey Kayange revealed that plans are underway to take the squad to a high-performance training camp in South Africa in January, likely in Stellenbosch, or to enter a warm-up tournament.
“We are weighing options and looking at the best scenario for the team to ensure they are ready for the opening tournament. Within the next two weeks, we will communicate,” said Kayange.
Squad:
Kevin Wekesa, Brian Tanga, Brian Mutua, Jackson Siketi, Rayvon Ambale (Kabras), Samuel Asati, Festus Shiasi, Vincent Onyala, Elvis Olukusi, Floyd Wabwire (KCB), John Okoth, Daniel Kipchirchir, Dennis Abukuse (Oilers), Tony Omondi, Eugene Ojiambo (Mwamba), Nygel Amaitsa, Gabriel Ayimba, Victor Ochieng (Strathmore), Chrisant Ojwang, Felix Odhiambo (Nakuru), Arnold Ogonda, Patrick Odongo, Clinton Amukachi (Daystar Falcons).
