It's a five-peat as history makers Kabras Sugar retain Kenya Cup title

Kabras Sugar RFC players celebrate with their Kenya Cup trophy after beating KCB RFC in the final at Kakamega Showground yesterday. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard] 

Kabras Sugar made history yesterday after winning a fifth consecutive Kenya Cup title with a hard-fought 14-8 victory over archrivals KCB Rugby at Kakamega Showgrounds.

The millers became only the third club in Kenyan rugby history to win five straight league titles, joining Nondescripts RFC and Impala RFC in the exclusive list of serial champions.

The last team to achieve the feat was Nondies between 1978 and 1982, making Kabras’ latest triumph a landmark moment for Kenyan rugby.

South African fly-half Ntabeni Dukisa, who came out of retirement to help Kabras during the season, played a key role in the victory after coming off the bench to inspire a dramatic comeback.

The victory also extended coach Carlos Katywa’s remarkable unbeaten run since joining Kabras. The tactician has now gone 53 matches without defeat, recording 52 wins and one draw.

KCB started the final strongly and dominated the early exchanges, pinning the hosts deep inside their own half.

Their pressure paid off in the 26th minute when Brian Wahinya calmly slotted over a penalty to give the bankers a 3-0 lead.

Kabras responded by increasing the tempo through Walter Okello, Eric Cantona, Jeanson Misoga, and Eugene Sifuna, who all tried to break through the solid KCB defence. However, the bankers held firm to take a narrow 3-0 advantage into halftime.

The defending champions returned a different side after the break.

Dukisa restored parity in the 50th minute with a well-taken penalty before adding another moments later to hand Kabras a 6-3 lead.

But KCB refused to back down.

After forcing several infringements and winning three successive scrums near the Kabras line, Festus Shiasi powered over for the game’s first try to put the bankers back in front at 8-6 after the conversion was missed.

Kabras were then dealt another blow when Ephraim Oduor was sent to the sin bin with 10 minutes left on the clock.

Despite being a man down, the sugarmen showed the fighting spirit that has defined their dominance in recent years. Dukisa once again stepped up to calmly convert a penalty and reclaim the lead at 9-8.

With less than five minutes remaining, Kabras launched one final attack. Their forwards drove deep into KCB territory before a rolling maul ended with Hillary Odhiambo touching down for the decisive try.

The missed conversion mattered little as the final whistle sparked wild celebrations among the home fans, with Kabras sealing another chapter in their growing rugby legacy.

The latest triumph means Kabras have now won every Kenya Cup title since 2022, further cementing their place as the dominant force in Kenyan rugby.

In Nairobi, Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad won bronze after Nondies boycotted the third-place playoff match.

Meanwhile, Mwamba were crowned KRU Championship champions after seeing off JKUAT Cougars 34-33 in a tight final at Goan Institute. Both JKUAT and Mwamba have been promoted to the Kenya Cup, replacing MMUST and Kisumu RFC, who were promoted.