Menengai Oilers coach on how Floodies lessons will shape their Kenya Cup campaign
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 21.11.25. | 19:33
Gibu’s rugby journey began at Nakuru Rugby Club in 2002 after high school, rising to captain the side
Menengai Oilers tactician Gibson Gibu has opened up on the key lessons and insights drawn from the Impala Floodlights tournament will shape their push for an elusive Kenya Cup title this season.
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Last season, the Oilers began brightly, lifting their maiden Floodies crown before storming into the Kenya Cup final, where they fell agonizingly short, losing 27-26 to four-time champions Kabras RFC.
This season has followed a similar script.
Weru's charges kicked off in style, retaining their Floodies title with a 34-20 win over a stubborn Nondies RFC.
Just last week, Mozzart Sport reported that the Oilers had enlisted the services of a consultant to bolster their title quest.
With the 2025/26 campaign kicking off on Saturday, 22 November, the road to the coveted crown is already well underway in Nakuru.
Weru revealed that the Floodies offered lessons that will inspire the Oilers to defy odds this season.
For him, the ambition is to reach the final and win it, but that target demands precision and adaptability.
“Last year, we reached the final but fell short, so our ultimate goal is to get back to that stage and win. To achieve that, there are several processes we need to focus on. Tactically, we must adapt to the different approaches our opponents bring, and we need to assert our presence early in every game,” he said.
Gibu took charge of the Oilers in 2016 and led them to the KRU Championship title a season later, before guiding them to the Kenya Cup in the 2018/19 season.
Since then, they have grown into a formidable force.
Oilers have reached the Kenya Cup final twice in recent years, losing 34-28 to Kabras RFC in the 2022/23 season and by a single point in last season’s 27-26 thriller.
Last Saturday, 8 November, they reclaimed their Impala Floodlights crown.
Their standout moment came in the quarterfinals, where they edged out KCB Rugby 16-13 to book a semifinal slot.
For Gibu, the tournament was another crucial learning curve.
“It is all about growth and improving with every opportunity. Sometimes you look at an opponent and plan differently, but at the end of the day, preparation must be centered on winning. No matter how detailed your plan is, the key is being ready to prepare a team to succeed,” he noted.
He drew parallels between the Floodies' final and April’s Enterprise Cup final against Kabras RFC, where Oilers lost 33-12, just a week after nearly shocking the Sugarmen.
Understanding that shift in mentality, he says, is a key focus.
“The big lesson from the Impala Floodlights was helping players understand the mentality required for a final. Perhaps during the Floodies, some players underestimated Nondies and did not bring the necessary fight. That is something I will be reflecting on to understand better.
We also lost the Enterprise Cup final again, and I need to figure out what went wrong. Ultimately, it is about growth, how quickly and effectively the team and I can improve. The challenge is bringing together all aspects of rugby to play attractively while still aiming for victories,” he added.
Gibu’s rugby journey began at Nakuru Rugby Club in 2002 after high school, rising to captain the side.
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After three seasons, he was drafted into the Kenya Sevens squad, featuring under coach Gordon Anampiu between 2005 and 2006.
Under the late Benjamin Ayimba, Gibu was part of the historic Shujaa squad that famously defeated New Zealand at the 2009 Hong Kong Sevens, their first-ever win over the giants.
That season, Kenya reached their first World Series Cup final in Adelaide and later made their maiden Rugby World Cup Sevens semifinal.
Gibu returned to Nakuru as head coach in 2015, winning the National Sevens Series before taking charge of the newly formed Menengai Oilers in 2016, where he continues to shape one of Kenya’s most ambitious rugby projects.
