Africa-Press – Kenya. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Cougars have turned their attention to the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship semi-finals after securing a crucial home play-off spot at the end of the regular season.
The Cougars, alongside Mwamba RFC, finished in the top two to guarantee home advantage in the last-four ties—placing both sides in prime position to fight for promotion to the top-tier Kenya Cup. Mwamba topped the standings with 45 points, while JKUAT finished second on 39, with a game in hand against already relegated Western Bulls.
The two sides are widely considered favourites to secure promotion, with Mwamba aiming for an immediate return to the top flight after just one season away, while the Cougars are chasing a historic first-ever appearance in the Kenya Cup.
JKUAT will now await the winner of the playoff between fourth-placed CUEA Catholic Monks and fifth-placed NYS Spades. On the other side of the bracket, Mwamba will host the winner between third-placed South Coast Pirates and sixth-placed Homeboyz RFC at their Goan Institute ground.
JKUAT Cougars head coach Smith Muhoya expressed satisfaction with his side’s progress but emphasised that the real test lies ahead. “We have met one of our goals, which was to seal a home semi-final.
With that box ticked, we now shift focus to the semi-final,” Muhoya said. He acknowledged the magnitude of the upcoming fixture, noting that a place in the Kenya Cup will be on the line.
“It will be a difficult game because the winner qualifies for the Kenya Cup. We must prepare well—it’s a high-stakes match that requires proper planning and management,” he added.
Muhoya revealed that his technical bench has already mapped out preparations, with a strong emphasis on tactical execution and opponent analysis. “It’s one home game standing between the Kenya Cup and us.
We must get everything right,” he said. Meanwhile, the regular season concluded with relegation for both Western Bulls and United States International University Africa (USIU-A) Martials, who dropped to the third tier.
Two promotion slots are up for grabs, with teams aiming to replace Kisumu RFC and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), who were relegated from the Kenya Cup.
