The Chronicles of Cliff Mukulu

The idea of entering Mean Machine into the Kenya Cup Rugby League was mooted in late 1975. But it was then felt that it was too late to obtain approval for the ‘76 season which was only days away. So we all went back to our clubs: Tom Oketch, Kadir Shapi , Dave Awimbo, John Akatsa, Jackson Omaido and myself at Nondies, Kalambo Kaisi, George Mngongo, Ben Mukuria, Bimbo Mutere and Frank Abukutsa at Quins and Chief Edebe and Dave Muraya at Impala. No doubt many of our university mates thought us crazy hopping into buses or walking to ‘mzungu’ clubs to play this rough game .However the university was kind enough to arrange for us to have late suppers, given that we used to get back after 8pm.

Our sitting arrangements at Central Catering Unit (CCU) revolved around former high schools. Lenana and Nairobi school products used to sit on the first row of tables while the Alliance crowd would sit on the next row of tables. This was the core of rugby playing schools then. St Mary’s and Rift Valley Academy products didn’t study at local universities.

We started preparing for the 1977 season .We didn’t have a pitch to train on let alone kit. We put this request to the university and suggested that the current pitch which was then a soccer pitch be converted into a rugby pitch and the soccer pitch be transferred to the middle of the athletics track. The games tutor Mr Ranji thought us crazy to ever imagine that we could supplant soccer.

At the end of the year we applied to KRFU who at first insisted that we must have a home ground and proper kit and colours. We didn’t have any of these. We were eventually allowed to enter the league. Some clubs were devastated by our departure, especially Nondies who had invested heavily in changing its image of an all white club. Because we didn’t have a ground we used what is now the graduation square as our training ground. This meant no kicking practice. Our kit was old disused black shirts that we occasionally borrowed. The university eventually agreed to order kit from Craigs Sports House then run by the late golfer John Mucheru. For a whole year he told us that the kit was at the airport being cleared and that we would get it the next day!!

Not every player studying at the university agreed to play for Mean Machine. John Omany and Jed Davies opted to stay at Impala. But then you had to be thick skinned. Edebe tried the same but the ladies threatened to shame him (with what exactly, your guess is as good as mine) and make life difficult for him and anybody else who tried to be a ‘traitor’. Training included the Arboretum trail and the famous Chiromo hill.

The first competition we took part in was Christie 7’s which we won. That got the whole university behind the team .This became a movement and virtually the whole university would turn up to matches. We got to the final of the Kenya Cup which must have been attended by one of the largest crowds ever witnessed at the RFUEA grounds. The Vice Chancellor witnessed Mean Machine winning the Kenya Cup final and we eventually got our pitch.

Our first year consisted of our very thin pool of players especially during exam times. Not many wanted to risk injuries during final exams. But there was a dedicated team of players. George “Dik Dik” Kidenda’s commitment to running the second team was amazing in very trying circumstances, given that the team was regularly ‘vandalised’ by the first team.

The core of the team in its first year was:
Front row: Coutts Otolo, Kalambo Kaisi, Geoff Simiyu
Second row: Dave Awimbo Aggrey Awimbo
Back row: Tom Oketch Frank Abukutsa, Chief Edebe
Half backs: George Mngongo, Bimbo Mutere
Centres: Ben Mukuria, Dave Muraya
Wingers: John Akatsa, Kadir Shapi, Emmanuel Lubembe-wingers
Full back: Cliff Mukulu

Invaluable back up support came from the late Frank Owiti, Arafat Aswani , George and Meshack Kidenda, Aduke Yeye and Musanga Aradi.

Willy Eshikati was treasurer and Geoff Simiyu and Dave Muraya vice captain and Tom Oketch scrum leader. We had no team coach at the time. I guess you could say we coached ourselves.

In 1978 we were a more structured side with some form of management. The team was more balanced with a better pack unlike in the first year. We even raised a first and a second team. The new players replacing Tom Oketch, Kalambo Kaisi, George Mngongo Aggrey Awimbo, Coutts Otolo, Dave Muraya, Absalom “Bimbo” Mutere ,Kadir Shapi and Ben Mukuria included Jackson Omaido Joe Masiga. Roger Otolo, Steve Mwenesi, Mutua Mutua, a West Indian Gary Swanston and black and white American students.

Mean Machine has had some illustrious supporters over the years who include in its formative years, Kilemi Mwiria.- one of the most consistent and committed of our supporters, the late Vice President Kijana Wamalwa and Mukhisa Kituyi. The university lady supporters were an institution in themselves and made excellent game analysts. They included Tieni nee Osieko now a prominent engineer at CCK, Liz at Boeing and Helen Bila now a senior tax collector.

Mean Machine in recent years has not met the high standards set by the pioneers. It is no longer the gravitating point for Nairobi University .The crowds are gone. My challenge to you now is how do we make Mean Machine the rallying point for the Nairobi University fraternity?

The Chronicles of Pritt Nyandat

I joined Mean Machine in 1979 and played for the 1st 15 for four seasons. I had joined from another of the then senior clubs, Mwamba RFC. I was pretty apprehensive at that time as Mean Machine had nurtured and developed a devastating spirit in campus, where the team trained hard, played hard and hit hard. To play for Mean Machine you had to be prepared to die for your team mates. I wondered if I could be accepted in my own way to play alongside the greats. I was received with open arms. Chief Edebe Jack Omaido, JB Nyamwange, Masilela, Dan Mugo (scoobie-do), Dave Oluoch and Doctor JJ Masiga were some of the great legends of Mean Machine that I was honored to play alongside.

If I consider that my formative year in rugby was at Mwamba RFC in 1978, I will state categorically that my growth in rugby knowledge was consolidated at Mean Machine. I enjoyed and played my best rugby at Mean Machine where each player was allowed to express himself.

Mean Machine of the late 70’s and 80’s had a spirit that emanated from the passionate fans who supported the team wherever they played. Indeed the fans were so intimidating that they were considered the 16th player in our team. The fans also demanded continuous high performance from the team, in most cases even attending the training sessions.

I recollect a specific moment that captured the spirit of Mean Machine at its best. This was the Blackrock Festival at the RFUEA grounds in 1980. In those days the tournament was held over two days. We had a very poor showing on the 1st day where we lost some matches to weaker opposition. At the end of that day a few fans walked into our changing room and gave the team a tongue lashing. Woe unto the teams that met Mean Machine on the second day. We beat all the teams and won final by cricket score lines. We literally ran amok.

I was lucky to play alongside another generation of Mean Machine. These were exceptionally skilled, super-fit players and great thinkers in the game. The Mean Machine of 1981/1982 sent terror down the spines of all the clubs in Kenya. In fact, the team always had to be slowed down by the referees to give opponents a fighting chance. I remember playing alongside the likes of Evans “Hanzi” Vitisia, Elijah “Swagger” Mureithi, Ahuga Mwenesi, Ken Obimbo, Dave Sakari, Ken Nyangaga, Bukusi (Citron), TJ Ochola, all ‘Boiler Room’ operatives. The Machine backs were just awesome. I remember playing alongside Ken Sagala, Tony Githuka, Pete Mwaniki and the ‘speedstar’ Danny Kimoro.

This Mean Machine team had one motto:

“When in possession, run the ball from any part of the pitch and score!!”

The Mean Machine teams I played for extended the spirit, played for each other and won for each other. I never experienced this kind of feeling in any other team I played for in my entire playing career.

I just hope that future generations will be able to maintain this spirit on Campus since without the Spirit of Mean Machine the team will not perform well.

Images courtesy of Frank Abukutsa.