As day turned to night, the pace changed from hard runs and quick steps, to the intoxicating aroma of the Captain’s Mbuzi as it slowly roasted on the evening fire. The fire represented for me, that eternal flame that burns in the heart of a true Machine; that warmth deep down in our souls every time we hear the name Mean Machine; that intensity that Mean Machine brings to the heart of Kenyan...

We live in catastrophic times. Drinking holes where we, the more mature sort, once found refuge from complexities of life; where we reclined to the sanctity of nice cold kenyan beer, have now been infested by snotty adolescents and transformed into second-rate taverns, which are charged with these invaders’ blatant pubescent tendencies that are too much too bare even for those of us going t...

Nondies hosted their annual touch rugby tournament on Saturday, 13th September, 2008. The MOB was represented by Madi Jimba Yahya, Lennox Ongus, Hilary Itela, Antony Onyango, Lawrence Omondi and Antony Gacanja. It was smooth sailing for the MOB until they met Avandu Chinkororo Strong RFC, the MOB chairman’s team of choice. Confident that her boys would make it to the finals without her, the Ch...

This article first appeared in the Daily Nation in the mid 1980s and was written by Patrick Odongo. It was preserved for the Mean Machine Museum by Edwin Obuya in his infamous scrapbook. Our thanks to them both and to “Nigger”. Fred’s whereabouts are unknown, although he has been spotted around GPO in central Nairobi from time to time. ‘NIGGER’ – THAT’S FRED...

Rugby: Man, Mouse Or Madness? My first contact with the game of rugby was in Form One when I joined high school. I underwent my secondary education in a totalitarian Roman Catholic institution that ascribed to the school of thought that physical hardship was critical to the good health of a young man’s soul. All sports were compulsory and in this regard, rugby was suited better than the rest. My...

It is three o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon and I am calling “Emman” to set up an appointment. I have postponed our meeting twice before and I feel extremely embarrassed as I make this call. After five rings Emman picks up his phone and sounds truly happy to hear my voice. He engages me in a discussion on the recently concluded Safari Sevens tournament and for a moment I forget my reason fo...