Wambua names Shujaa squad for Safari 7s assignment

Shujaa head coach Kevin Wambua has announced the team that will be in action during the Safari 7s tournament slated for Friday 11 to Sunday 13 at Machakos Stadium.

The team was picked following the completion of the 2024 National 7s Circuit.

A 36-man squad was selected and whittled down to 26. From the 26, 12 will represent Shujaa while the rest play for Morans.

Hard hitting Strathmore Leos’ forward George Ooro leads the pack.

The fan-favorite has been on top of his game, as he has helped Shujaa return to the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series, to represented Kenya in the Olympics and won the final leg of the National 7s Circuit; Prinsloo 7s after a spirited fight.

He is joined by Brian Mutua of Kabras RFC,who also helped Shujaa get back to HSBC after a season in the second tier.

Mutua’s former teammate Kevin Wekesa has also been named in the team.

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Wekesa will be keen to bring a wealth of experience in the team thanks to his illustrious rugby career.

He recently joined French side Monaco Rugby Sevens where he competed in the new 2024-2025 In Extenso Super Sevens.

William Mwanji also from the Sugarmen has been drafted in the squad.The lanky player will be keen to make his mark as a regular in the national team.

Dennis Abukuse of Menengai Oilers has also made the cut. Abukuse has been in outstanding form in the recently concluded circuit, having won the third Impact Player of the season after topping the Tisini stats tracker.

Talented scrum half Samuel Asati is also in the squad. His absence during the Prinsloo 7s was felt as KCB Rugby failed to qualify for the tournament’s quarterfinals to blow away their chances of retaining the National 7s Circuit.

Nondies RFC’s playmaker Benson Salem has also made the cut despite a not-so-good season. He missed two legs of the circuit due to injuries but came back stronger to help Nondies reach the Prinsloo 7s final.

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Brian Mutugi of Mwamba RFC too is in the party. The speedster was part of the side that successfully retained the Safari Sevens last year.

He was named in the squad for the first time in his career after enjoying a fairly fruitful National Sevens Circuit in 2023, and it felt like it was a long time coming.

Fleet-footed Patrick Odongo of Daystar University also made the cut as is Gabriel Ayimba, the son of the late Kenya 7s tactician Benjamin Ayimba.

He has never failed to wow fans, and will be keen to lead the team to glory.

Shujaa squad for Safari 7s:

1. George Ooro 2. Brian Mutua 3. Kevin Wekesa 4. William Mwanji 5. Dennis Abukuse 6. Samuel Asati 7. Benson Salem 8. Jackson Siketi 9. Nygel Amaitsa 10. Brian Mutugi 11.Patrick Odongo 12. Gabriel Ayimba