Rugby is arguably one of the most cherished sports in Kenya. In recent years, the game has become so popular that various corporates have pumped big cash into sponsorship of rugby.
The year 2016 will go down in Kenyan rugby history as a time that brought good tidings with the national flag flying high. This is because the Kenyan 7s team won the Singapore series and it was also the same year that Collins Injera conquered the world by toping the chart of the all time world 7s try scorers.
But it is now quite nostalgic that the best of Kenya’s talents have hanged their boots as age has caught up with them. And the big question is: what are they currently doing?
In this article, WoK samples the career paths of retired rugby stars.
Dennis Ombachi: Content creation and ambassadorial role
Dennis Ombachi enjoys spending time with his family and has since taken content creation as a new lease of life. He was recently crowned the most impactful and creative tiktoker in Sub-Saharan Africa after beating 89 contenders.
Ombachi goes with the handle @theroamingchef on Tiktok where he posts recipe videos. The creative part of it is that he has mastered the skill of video editing by compressing an entire food preparation procedure into a few minutes. The ex-rugby star reveals that two ingredients are crucial in content creation: authenticity and majoring in one’s hobby.
“It’s all about being natural and authentic. If you don’t fake it, you don’t have to force it. Once you fake it, it’s like when you have to wear two veils, I would advise us to sort of curate your content in such a way that it aligns with your life,” he told Nation.
Prior to gaining success on social media, Ombachi faced one of his lowest points in life when he was diagnosed with bipolar and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The celebrated star almost took his own life. Fortunately, he went for treatment and managed to take life positively.
Ombachi has been able to land a lucrative ambassadorial role with Bidco through which he promotes Golden Fry cooking oil.
Collins Injera: Corporate World
Collins Injera began 2023 by being inducted into the Fiji Rugby Hall of Fame. Then on 24th January, the 36 year old made the big announcement that he was bidding goodbye to the oval ball. That would mark an end of a 17 year decorated career.
Injera, a son of a Professor Wilfred Emonyi hang his boots and left an indelible mark in the history of Kenyan rugby. He ranks second in the charts of all time world sevens series try scorers.
Away from the pitch, Injera matriculated at Daystar University where he pursued a degree in PR, Advertising and Applied Communication. After a decorated rugby career, he joins satelitte technology firm Avanti Communication in an undisclosed role.
Humphrey Kayange: Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency
Humphrey Kayange is the elder brother of Collins Injera. He studied biochemistry at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. He then went to the UK to study organic chemistry.
After retirement, the towering player has landed various lucrative roles such as being a member of the International Olympic Committee and Executive Member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Oscar Dennis: Elements Flooring Company
Oscar Dennis career ended painfully and abruptly. He was involved in a grisly road accident in November 2020 and was forced to seek treatment in South Africa. The star revealed that he underwent 12 surgeries and he was almost amputated were it not for the surgeons to bank on the slimmest of possible recovery.
Dennis announced his retirement in 2022 and has since ventured into the construction industry. He has partnered with his friend Murphy and the two are behind Element Flooring Company. The firm imports and sells quality tiles which are custom-made Stone Plastic Composite (SPC).
The company ventured into Kenya after conducting research and getting positive results of a market niche in Kenya. Unlike normal tiles used for construction, the firm says that their tiles are designed to ‘feel like natural wood’ hence giving a long-lasting finish.
Biko Adema: Coaching and teaching
Biko Adema is an alumnus of St. Mary’s School where his rugby skills got polished. He then joined Daystar University to pursue a career in Management Information Systems.
Suffering a knee injury sank his rugby career. Adema landed a job at Banda School where he was the sports coach and he would later get employed at Braeburn School, Nairobi as a teacher of Maths, English, Science and Computing.
