Jackson Kengere of Kisii Rugby goes for the ball during a lineout against Mwamba RFC at Kisii School/ANGWENYI GICHANAAfter upsetting Mwamba RFC 22–19, Kisii Rugby’s interim coach, Nelvin Lumiti, says he is confident the team will retain its KRU Championship status.
“Our main target is to maintain our KRU Championship status. A play-off slot is still achievable, but we don’t want to put the young boys under too much pressure,” he said. Reflecting on the match.
Lumiti added, “We expected a tough game, and we were ready. We countered almost everything they threw at us from the first minute to the final whistle. “We won because the boys stuck to our game plan. We were trailing for most of the match, but that didn’t stop us from pulling off this big win. Being the first game of the season, the victory means a lot to us.”
He said the result was a clear statement of intent. “This is a young team made up of schoolboys and university students. From the win against Mwamba, it shows they can compete with — and beat — any team.”
Lumiti also praised the hundreds of fans who turned up at Kisii School to cheer the team, urging them to keep supporting the side in the matches ahead. Kisii were returning to the KRU Championship after a five-year absence. Lumiti was appointed interim coach following the departure of Lee Aristone, who joined Kenya Cup giants Kabras Sugar.
In other matches, National Youth Service (NYS) Spades upset Homeboyz 13–6 to claim their first win of the season, while visiting South Coast Pirates beat Western Bulls 25–11 in a clash of former Kenya Cup sides at the Bull Ring in Kakamega.
At the University of Nairobi, Mean Machine and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Cougars played out a tense 19–19 draw in a lively varsity derby. The Catholic University of Eastern Africa’s Catholic Monks handed the United States International University–Africa (USIU-A) their second consecutive defeat, edging the hosts 39–12.
