Kisumu, August 2, 2026. There’s a certain symmetry to sport, and Kabras Sugar 7s took full advantage of it at the Dala 7s in Kisumu, the second leg of the 2026 SportPesa National Sevens Circuit.
A year after watching KCB lift the Dala Sevens trophy at their expense, the Sugar Millers turned the tables in the most emphatic way, coming from 0-5 down at half time to beat Menengai Oilers 19-5 in the final, reclaiming the title and, with it, top spot on the overall SportPesa National Sevens Circuit standings.
The turnaround was built on a strong second-half response. Derrick Ashihundu got Kabras going with a try that leveled the contest before youngster and Series MVP Rayvon Ambale scored and converted his own try to edge his side ahead.
Fredrick Wangila added to the score that put daylight between the two sides, his try converted by Michael Lukusi.
It was enough to see off a spirited Menengai Oilers side and send Kabras back to the top of the podium.
Kabras captain Mathias Osimbo said the victory was long coming: “We are very happy to have won here in Kisumu. We came too short in Nakuru, losing in the final but we knew we had it in us to win here and we couldn’t be more pleased,” he said.
Harlequins dump unconvincing Bankers
Kenya Harlequins, having done the hard work of dumping defending series champions KCB out, couldn’t carry that momentum all the way to the podium’s top step.
They were made to work for third place by Mwamba 7s in a match that had no business being decided in normal time. The two sides couldn’t be separated at 17-17 after full time, and it took extra time, and a moment of composure from captain Shaquel Bosire, to settle it.
Bosire’s try in extra time sealed a 22-27 win for Mwamba, and third place on the podium.
For Prinsloo winners KCB, the weekend told a very different story. The Bankers arrived in Kisumu on the back of a flawless Prinsloo campaign, where they’d swept aside everything in their path to open the season. Dala had other plans.
A tense 19-19 draw with MMUST in the pool stages hinted that the free-scoring form of Nakuru wasn’t going to travel easily, and by the quarter-finals, the warning signs had become reality.
Harlequins produced the shock of the tournament, knocking out the defending champions and ending any hopes of a title defence before it could get started. KCB never quite found their footing after that, eventually settling for 5th place with a 24-17 win over Strathmore.
*Mwamba Ladies Triumph Again *
It was a good weekend for Mwamba across the board. The club’s women’s side went one better than their male counterparts, edging local rivals Kenya Harlequins 10-7 in the Dala 7s Division One women’s final, courtesy of a last-minute try.
The win earned Mwamba Ladies back-to-back titles and KES 100,000.
SportPesa Head of Public Relations, Willis Ojwang, captured the mood of the weekend:
“Dala has given us exactly the kind of rugby this circuit was built for – physical, unpredictable, and full of statements. Congratulations to all the winners but what stood out for me was how hard sides like Harlequins and MMUST pushed the established order.
That’s a good sign for the rest of the series. Two legs in, the gap between the top teams and the chasing pack is closing, and that competitiveness is exactly what we want heading into Kabeberi and the rest of the circuit.”
With Kabras now back at the summit of the overall standings, KCB will have plenty to think about before their next outing.
Elsewhere on the circuit, the promotion battle at the Impala Club provided its own drama. Catholic Monks booked their place in Division 1 with a 20-14 win over Stallions in the Division 2 final, earning themselves KES 70,000, with Stallions taking home KES 30,000 as runners-up.
The circuit now takes a week’s break before reconvening in Nairobi for Leg 3, the Kabeberi Memorial Sevens, hosted at the Impala Club on 15–16 August.
