Mwamba RFC head coach Paul Murunga has credited the club’s new additions and a much-improved defensive display for guiding the Nairobi-based side into the Main Cup quarter-finals at the 2026 Dala 7s in Kisumu.
After enduring a disappointing outing in the season-opening Prinsloo 7s, where costly errors denied them a deep run, Mwamba arrived at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium determined to turn the page.
The response was emphatic as they topped a difficult Pool C with three straight victories to book their first Main Cup quarter-final appearance in some time.
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Murunga had made five changes to the squad before the tournament, bringing in Gideon Makumi, Edwin Watulo, Joshua Otieno, Jerome Miksi and Mark Gitonga. The fresh faces replaced Eugene Ojiambo, Tony Omondi, Byron Webbo, Wycliffe Ochieng and Paul Tatti, while the experienced core of the squad remained intact.
The changes immediately paid dividends.
Mwamba opened their campaign with a commanding 22-0 shutout of Nondescripts RFC in one of the most complete performances of the opening day. They followed it up with a hard-fought 19-14 victory over the in-form Daystar Falcons before sealing top spot in the pool with an entertaining 26-17 win over hosts Kisumu RFC.
Across the three pool matches, Mwamba combined clinical finishing with aggressive breakdown work, solid one-on-one tackling and quick ball movement to collect maximum points and head into the knockout rounds full of confidence.
Reflecting on the team’s turnaround, Murunga said correcting the mistakes made in Nakuru had been the priority heading into Dala 7s.
“It means a lot. I think at Prinsloo we made many mistakes, but this time we were brilliant. Against Nondies we won 22-0, which means our defence worked,” said Murunga.
The tactician also singled out the impact made by the new recruits, noting that they had slotted into the team seamlessly and strengthened key areas of the squad.
“A few changes worked. Bringing in Jerome Khamisi and our brilliant winger Zolid worked so well. You could see how he defended against Odongo and, of course, helped make sure we won the game,” he added.
Mwamba’s defensive resilience stood out throughout the pool stage. In sevens rugby, where space is abundant and missed tackles are often punished immediately, the Black Shirts consistently shut down dangerous attacking threats while showing composure in transition from defence to attack.
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Murunga believes reaching the Main Cup quarter-finals is another step in the club’s rebuilding journey after several tournaments without a place in the last eight.
“It’s the first Main Cup quarter-final for Mwamba in a while and it has been a long time coming. We are looking forward to building from there and making sure we get to the top, step by step,” he said.
“We are not there yet, but if we continue working on a few mistakes, I think we will become an even better team in our next match.”
With momentum firmly on their side and confidence growing after an unbeaten pool campaign, Mwamba now head into the knockout stages hoping their blend of experienced campaigners and impactful new recruits can carry them deeper into the Dala 7s and reignite their challenge on the 2026 National Sevens Circuit.