10 . ACHADIUS KHWESA

Khwesa has been a rock for Black Blad since joining the club in 2016. His explosive pase and acceleration has made him a potent weapon for the Varsity side managing eleven tries in the Kenya cup 2018/2019 season. His ability to leave defenders for dead especially on outside channels saw him dominate the 2018 local 7s circuit earning him the most promising player award in the inaugural Sepetuka 7s. Khwesa later on got a chance to represent the country in the annual Safari 7s featuring for the second string side Kenya Morans. Thanks to his exploits Black Blad maintain their status in the top tier as the only Varsity side in the 2019/2020 season.

9. BILL OMONDI

The young Impala Saracens centre has progressively shown tremendous strides in his rugby journey that can be traced back to the Impala Academy. Bill’s strong physique and powerful fends has seen him cross the white wash five times in the just concluded Kenya Cup season. Bill featured for Chipu and was part of the team that represented Kenya in the 2014 Youth Olympics in China. He made his debut for the Simbas in the 2019 Elgon Cup where he scored a crucial try that saw kenya retain the title.

8. GEOFFREY OKWACH

Just at 19, Okwach is already a fully capped Kenyan international. His glittering pace , acceleration and power that leave defenders clawing at thin air has made him a sensation to watch. He bagged four tries in the just concluded World Cup U20 trophy displaying his pure class in making out something out of nothing. Okwach got shortlisted among players who stood out in the tournament where Kenya finished 6th behind Canada. He has made a name for himself and is certainly the future of Kenya Rugby.

7. CLAUDE JOHANNES

This cheerful South African flair was quick to adjust to the new physical oriented style of Kenya rugby. It was not long before he proved to be the ingredient the Millers needed to execute their ”sugar-coated” rugby. Kabras dominance in scrums and mauls can be attributed to his exploits. Johamnes, a loose foward or rather eighth man, has vast experience understanding of the game that has seen him score six tries in his first Kenya Cup season.

6 . JOHNSTONE OLINDI

Olindi needs no introduction after his photo as a waterboy a few years back surfaced the internet. The Catholic University student and KCB fly half is a refined playmaker who can see and exploit space on the pitch. Endowed with glistering pace and mastery of ankle breaks has seen him become an intergral unit for the Kenya 7s bagging 102 points in his 47 HSBC appearances.

5 . OSCAR SORANO

Sorano, the herculean loose head prop, whose muscles would lead nations to war has had an awesome season with the Bankers. His physical preeminence enables him gain metres of ground before being brought down. He also had the opportunity to represent the Kenya 15s side in the El;gon Cup. His presence in the in the KCB pack has been quite instrumental in securing their third consecutive Kenya Cup title.

4 . ANDREW AMONDE

Amonde has been a battering ram this season featuring for the Kenya Simbas in the Repechange and Elgon cup. The rugby powerhouse plays flanker for the Bankers and has also featured in the HSBC 7s circuit. Amonde was phenomenal in the Paris 7s earning him a slot in the dream team. He led his club in clinching the coveted Kenya Cup for the third time in a row against bitter rivals Kabras. Andrew’s prominent bump offs and fends make him hard to defend against not only locally but also in the world stage.

3 . JACOB OJEE

Ojee the human dynamo; a hard runner and an ardent believer of the philosophy ”if there is no way make your own way” this is well exhibited by his style of play of generating deceptive power through his speed to bumpoff anything on his way. Oooh well, I made up this philosophy which clearly suits the winger who has also been exceptional for the the National 15s and 7s side. His devastating attacking skill set saw him lead KCB in outplaying a resilient Kabras side in the Kenya Cup finals.

2 . COLLINS INJERA

One man who knows what it takes to succeed in the sevens circuit is Collins Injera, the phenomenal 33year old has made a name for himself in the World Rugby arena with 271 tries on his name. Collins who is traditionally a Mwamba RFC utility back played foward (flanker) in the Kenya Cup season bagging home 21 tries behind arch rival Wokorach. Collins has a dynamic footwork that has made him unpredictable and a mystery to other players. He led the 7s team to clinch their maiden title in Singapore back in 2016 and was also part of the 15s team that took part in the Repechange tournament last year. This soft spoken individual can be termed a legend in the sport and we all hope the best of Collins is yet to come.

1 . PHILLIP WOKORACH

Wokorach is arguably the best rugby player in the Kenyan league, critics say he is a cut above East African Rugby and should probably be making headlines in Super Rugby or Top 14. The Ugandan International has a dangerous shutter step and a piston of a fend that recently left Quins defenders sprawling towards Adams Arcade. Wokorach’s extra ordinary talent has taken the Kenyan rugby scene by storm; his pinpoint kicks and try scoring ability saw him clinch season’s top try scorer with 23 tries on his name. The 25 year old Kabras RFC utility back has made watching the sport a pleasure and a treasure and is clearly heading for the stars.

April 7th 2019; A day that will always be remembered by the Kenya U20 rugby team famously known as Chipu and the die hard rugby fans who thronged the Lion’s Den as the team defied all odds to stun Namibia, a hard nut to crack, in the tightly contested Barthes Cup final. This victory saw Chipu return into the World Rugby U20 trophy after a decade.

The hard-fought victory was earned through sensational tries from openside flanker Brian Amaitsa and 98kg left winger Bildad Ogeta who displayed serious wheels to cross the white wash. Failing to mention full back and man of the match Andrew Matoka just 6 feet and a kilogram shy of 80 would render this article absurd. The Leos pacy utility back nailed a pin point long range penalty goal for Kenya in the dying minutes to break the deadlock and seal victory for Chipu.

Chipu, with only few months to put their house in order, are expected to compete favourably against a well structured Japan and Uruguay side. The duo has competed in the top tier, World Rugby U20 Championship, an echelon featuring powerhouse rugby nations such as Newzealand and South Africa. They also sit in pool A alongside horsts Brazil who are yet to compete in this stage.

Stay tuned for my next assignment that will entail Chipu’s battle in the World Cup U20 Trophy. See you then.