Kenya Cup Round Up: Kabras Sugar, Menengai Oilers Dominate Opening Weekend

The 2025/26 Kenya Cup season kicked off with a bang as defending champions Kabras RFC, Menengai Oilers, and KCB all secured massive victories. In a weekend of thrilling action, Strathmore Leos also claimed bragging rights in a nail-biting university derby against Kenyatta University's Blak Blad.

Kabras RFC began their title defense with an emphatic 67-6 thrashing of local rivals MMUST at the Kakamega Showground. The victory extended their remarkable streak of winning every opening-day fixture for the 12th consecutive season.

While MMUST had recently stunned Kabras 14-13 in the Victoria 15s tournament, they could not replicate that success in the league. The champions asserted their dominance from the start, with early tries from Asuman Mugerwa and Jeanson Misoga establishing a 12-0 lead.

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A penalty from former Kabras fly-half Flavian Otiyo gave MMUST a brief glimmer of hope, but the "Sugarmen" responded swiftly. Tries from scrum-half Roy Maruti and last season's top scorer Griffin Chao pushed the score to 26-6 by halftime.

The second half was a one-sided affair. Kabras ran in seven more tries, including a second for Mugerwa, a brilliant solo effort from Barry Robinson, and another for Chao, sealing a statement win that underscores their championship credentials.

In a fiercely contested varsity derby at the Blad Bin, Strathmore Leos avenged a previous loss by narrowly defeating Kenyatta University's Blak Blad 32-30. The match was a tense, back-and-forth encounter, with the Leos ultimately holding their nerve to secure a crucial opening-round victory.

Menengai Oilers delivered the weekend's most lopsided result, giving newly promoted Daystar Falcons a harsh welcome to the top flight with a 76-16 demolition at the ASK Nakuru Showground. Widely tipped as title contenders, the Oilers showed their ruthless attacking prowess from start to finish.

Meanwhile, KCB Rugby were just as dominant, crushing Impala RFC 87-5 at the Ruaraka Sports Club. The result highlighted the widening gap between the two historic clubs, following KCB's 64-9 win in their last meeting in March 2025.

At the RFUEA Grounds, Kenya Harlequin held off a determined Nakuru RFC to grind out a 20-15 victory. The hard-fought win signals Quins' ambition to re-establish themselves as serious contenders this season.

Elsewhere, Nondies RFC started their campaign on a strong note, defeating Kisumu RFC 36-12. The convincing performance provides a solid foundation as they look to build momentum in the weeks ahead.

Mwamba RFC delivered the biggest statement, crushing NYS Spades 37–6 as they push for a quick return to the Kenya Cup. After a slow start, Mwamba took control through the boot of Christopher Asira and a dominant forward pack. Aldrin Andaje was the star, scoring a hat-trick, while Brian Kabura added reliable conversions. NYS Spades managed only two penalties in reply.

JKUAT Cougars 24–10 Mombasa RFC – Cougars held firm at home to secure a solid win.

Zetech Oaks 41–38 USIU Martials – A high-scoring thriller saw Zetech edge Martials by three points.

Homeboyz 31–28 Mean Machine – Homeboyz opened their season with a tight victory against Mean Machine at RFUEA.