Nondies RFC coach on Darwin Mukidza’s impact ahead of Kenya Cup
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 02.11.25. | 14:37
He made his international debut for the Simbas in 2015 against Portugal and went on to earn 47 caps, becoming the team’s all-time leading point and try scorer
Nondies RFC head coach Moses Wanyaga has lauded the impact of former Kenya Simbas captain, Darwin Mukidza, whose addition to the technical bench has already begun to bear fruit ahead of the new Kenya Cup season.
Mukidza, who joined Nondies from KCB Rugby, is serving as the team’s backs coach.
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He has been instrumental in refining their attacking structures and overall game strategy.
The veteran, who retired from active play in March 2023, had been serving as KCB’s backs coach until his contract expired on May 26, 2025.
His departure came amid a major reshuffle at the club’s technical bench, that saw Dennis Mwanja appointed interim head coach following Oliver Mang’eni’s exit.
Team manager Priscilla Amollo Ong’ombe also left the outfit.
At Nondies, Mukidza’s experience is already translating into results.
Under his guidance, the team reached the semifinals of the Impala Floodlights Tournament after edging out Strathmore Leos 27-22 in a thrilling quarterfinal encounter.
“Darwin has joined us full-time as a coach. He is working primarily with the backs but also with overall strategy and some of our attack structures,” Wanyaga said.
“So far, I have enjoyed working with him. He is a brilliant player, and he has been able to translate his vast experience into practical work with us. We are starting to see the fruits of working with him,” he continued.
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Wanyaga, however, remained grounded despite the team’s promising start to the Impala Floodlights, insisting that they will take things step by step.
“We are going to take one game at a time. Teams have improved. We have watched some good rugby so far. We aim higher, but we want to take it one day at a time,” he said.
Mukidza’s influence on the Nondies setup comes as no surprise, given his rich rugby background.
He made his international debut for the Simbas in 2015 against Portugal and went on to earn 47 caps, becoming the team’s all-time leading point and try scorer.
His last match came in November 2022 against Hong Kong during the Rugby World Cup repechage in Dubai.
He also turned out 16 times for the Kenya Sevens team.
The highlight of his international career came in 2022 when he helped the Simbas finish second at the Rugby Africa Cup, narrowly missing out on World Cup qualification.
With his playing days behind him, Mukidza is focused on giving back to the game through coaching and developing the next generation of rugby talent.
