Kenyan Premier League champions, Tusker FC, are in the market for a new center-back after Christopher Oruchum left on Sunday for Tanzanian Premier League side NBC.
Oruchum, who has penned a two-year deal with NBC, leaves the Ruraka-based brewers after landmark back-to-back KPL titles during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons.
The defender, whose top-flight career took off at the defunct Thika United, said his trip to Tanzania will offer him a new set of challenges.
He featured for the brewers in 31 matches, partnering first with Eugene Asike and later with Charles Momanyi to constitute the very heart of the watertight defence that maintained 19 clean sheets in the just concluded season.
The club brought the development to light in a statement released early Sunday.
“Tusker FC defender Christopher Oruchum has left the club upon the expiry of his contract and will be off to seek greener pastures. The defender arrived at Tusker at the beginning of the 2020-21 season and has successfully won back-to-back titles,” the statement read.
Oruchum, 25, joined the Robert Matano-tutored side in September 2020 after a successful stint with traditional giants AFC Leopards, saying he would delight in donning the yellow and black colours that he had grown up admiring since his childhood.
“Tusker is a big team and chances are one is likely to be exposed to various teams outside the country if you feature for the club,” Oruchum has said then.
And true to his expectations, turning out for the brewers provided Oruchum with a perfect platform to market his skills. Sources say several other clubs swarmed for his signature before he ultimately reached a decision to decamp to NBC.
Although it took him some time to settle at Ruaraka, his resilience and determination to scale the heights eventually saw him cement his position in the starting lineup and assert authority in all matches he featured in.
“I want to thank the Tusker family in a big way; from the management, my fellow players, technical bench members and the fans for their support for the two seasons I turned out for the club,” Oruchum was quoted telling the club.
“I have won the league back to back, which is amazing for any player. With two League titles, One Charity Cup Trophy and three medals on, I can say I have had the best time at Tusker FC. I am off to a new challenge but I will leave with my head held high as a proud alumnus of this great club,”
“To the team, I want to wish them all the best in the coming season,” he added.
