At Mwamba Rugby Club, one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country, two names stand iconic in the list of famous players to ever don the jersey; Humprey Kayange and his younger brother Collins Injera.
The former is a World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee, while the latter is an icon when it comes to World Rugby sevens, having one time held the mantle of record tries scored in the HSBC World Sevens series.
Challenge to youngins
It is these milestones therefore that challenge budding rugby stars to always follow in the footsteps of these Kenyan rugby icons, with the hope of replicating their achievements, this was the same case with Eliakim Kichoi.
The Mwamba utility player sought after following the pathway of these two brothers, a journey that he says has turned fortune into his career, and raised his status from calling them “icons” to “teammates”.
He said his decision to join Mwamba was pegged on the prospect of one day playing alongside his two icons and admits he still follows the footsteps up to now.
Eliakim Kichoi attempts a tackle against Western Bulls. Photo Courtesy/Denis Acre-Half.
“The main reason I came to Mwamba was that I can be able to join the National team and we had living proof of current superstars active in the national team playing for Mwamba. Being with Kayange and Injera in the same team was enough motivation because these are people I have always wanted to be like from high school days to the point I am in the same team,” he said.
“I have always learnt a lot from every encounter with them and I am so grateful to the Almighty God for blessing me with the Emonyi (Kayange and Injera’s surname) duo. I will one day want to achieve even half of what the Emonyi brothers have and I will work harder to make sure I do well,” he added.
This happened when he arrived at Mwamba in 2014 fresh from college, but the footsteps date back to 2007 in the town of Voi, Taita Taveta County, while a student at St Bartholomew Secondary School.
Track Athlete
Then a track athlete with exemplary results in 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m races, football was the only other sport he had participated in. His first rugby game was a training session at the school where he says he was baptized with a powerful handoff that spiralled him to the ground.
“I started in St. Bartholomew secondary school in 2007 under Head coach Amos Mzenge (school Headmaster) and Assistant coach Mr. Robert Ndambo (Sports teacher). I was taken to the pitch and my first account was a very big hit by one of the senior boys. The Guys were laughing at me when I was hit. I asked the ref why this is allowed and I was told that’s a handoff and that I am supposed to guard myself. It was so annoying but fun. It was through this that I fell in love with the game,” he said.
Kichoi in a past action. Photo Courtesy/Kichoi.
However, his adaptation to the game was quick and it did not take long before he was incorporated into the school’s team rugby fold. Having participated in racing events prior to rugby, his first position was as a winger, a position he switched from to the second row after a few seasons with Mwamba.
“I started as a winger and centre in Mwamba in the 2014 season. As seasons progressed, I started playing one half of the game as a back, and then change to forwards in the other half. I was a good Jumper in lineouts. I liked the action while playing as a forward and finally I made the switch in the 2016 7s season till date,” he said.
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His biggest challenge when starting out, he said, was the friction between him and his parents concerning the game. The disagreement was however squashed after the parents started witnessing the progress he was making.
His memorable high school rugby moment came in 2008 when his side qualified for the nationals 15s secondary school games, after clinching Taita and Coastal region mantles.
“That was my major breakthrough in 2008 when I featured in the school team 15s side. We played in Taita district games & Coast province games in Mariakani high school and we won and qualified for the Nationals at Kisii High,” he said.
“I later moved to Uganda and I Joined TOPA (Tororo Progressive Academy) in 2010. In Topa I was welcomed in the team and in two weeks we went for the district games in Mbale town 2010 I had 5 tries and then we won the District games and Regional and qualified for the national Coca cola 10s in 2010,” he added.
After his stint with TOPA, Kichoi returned home for bachelor’s studies and joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology JKUAT.
His Kulabu tenure began after his short stints at Mombasa Rugby and Kenyatta University in 2014, after he had graduated from JKUAT. He went on to make his debut during the Dala 7s against the Technical University of Kenya (TUK).
“After graduating from JKUAT in December 2013, I played a few matches at Mombasa and Kenyatta University at some point after leaving college. In 2014 I met Richard ‘Quicks’ Nyakwakwa who introduced me to Mwamba rugby. I made my debut in Dala 7s in a Pool A game against TUK,” he said.
Since then, Kichoi has risen to become a stand-out figure in his eight-year stint at Kulabu, a period that he says has had both good and bad memories.
For his best moments, he singles out his debut for the club, his appointment as captain of 7s team in 2018, winning and being named Most Valuable Player Dala 7s 2018 and his call up into National Sevens Team (Shujaa).
His worst moment at the club, he says, came during the 2018/19 Sevens season, where they missed the overall circuit, finishing second below KCB Rugby.
During his stay at Mwamba, Kichoi says it is the hunger and zeal to achieve more that has brought both the good and the bad memories and made him rise to the position he holds currently.
“As I had mentioned earlier, my aim was to play for the national team, I worked hard for years to be able to achieve such goals. I once made a promise to myself that if I won’t make it in the National team then I will be a king of the level I will be playing either local or international. I always want to win it feels so good and so I kept on doing that early morning personal training sessions for years to make sure I become the best,” he said.
His list of players that he looks up to locally is nothing but pure class. Although he says the list is endless, he doesn’t shy from naming a few players. Notably is Kenya Sevens star Willy Ambaka who he describes as a good friend and current Strathmore head coach Loius Kisia. Internationally, he looks up to the late All Blacks hard-hitting winger Jonah Lomu.
“The list is so endless. I have met so many players who have always impacted me positively in my rugby growth. Kayange, a GOAT in World Rugby and a living legend whom I have witnessed his success and I would one day want to be like him, Horace Otieno, my big brother and also mentor, Louis Kisia, my first Mwamba 7s captain who also became my coach and Willy Ambaka who we have so much in common and he is a good friend a brother,” he said.
Even now, Kichoi still dreams big. He terms his career so far “good” and admits he still harbours ambitions of one day trading his talents overseas.
“Yes, so far I am proud of everything, I never thought I would make it this far in my rugby career but I still feel this world has not yet seen the best of me and I have a few unticked boxes in my to-do list. Well maybe to play pro one day before I hung my boots and play a few major tournaments in Either Rugby Union or Rugby League in the next five years,” he said.
When not playing rugby, Kichoi is a businessman and you will find him running errands at his company Eliabu Arts and Design which focuses on design, branding and printing services. He is also a coach at Kitengela Sharks Rugby club as well as Future Stars African Games (FSAG) age grade academy.
Eliakim Kichoi in action for Kenya Rugby League National Team. Photo Courtesy/Hilaria Wuaku
To the upcoming players he says, “rugby world is tough to survive, you will need a lot of discipline, dedication, sacrifice and the hope of making it because hard work never goes unrewarded. You just need to understand why you are playing, what are your goals and targets in the game, discipline is the key to success and lastly have fun in everything you do, you must make sure you have total fun either in training or playing
Eliakim Kichoi’s Fact Profile
Name Eliakim Kichoi
Club: Mwamba
Position: Lock, flanker
Achivements: 2008 KSSSA high school Coastal Region Rugby 15s, 2010 Uganda Secondary schools Coca Cola 10s, 2018 Dala 7s MVP, 2018 silver medalist Stanbic Kenya National Sevens circuit, 2018 Silver medalist Kenya 7s , Played CAR 7s Africa, 2022 Level 1 International Rugby League coaching accreditation
