Menengai Oilers head coach Lawi Buyachi is unfazed by the departure of five key players as he continues to rebuild the squad ahead of the 2026/27 Kenya Cup season.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Impala Floodlights defending champions have lost the services of scrum half Samson Onsomu, Victor Were, Charles Osgood, fly half Eric Ogutu and Fortune Arturo, forcing the technical bench to adjust as the team prepares for the new campaign.Osgood and Arturo joined KCB Rugby, with the latter making an immediate impact for the Bankers after scoring a brace on his debut during their 64-11 victory over Mwamba RFC in the Impala Floodlights semi-final on Saturday, 24 October.Chrissant Ojwang opens up on mental toll of injuries in rugbyOsgood, meanwhile, made his first appearance for KCB during a friendly match against Uganda's KCB Kobs last month, while Were has rejoined Kisumu RFC.Onsomu appears to have transitioned into coaching, having been spotted on the sidelines during the ongoing Impala Floodlights tournament.Ogutu's departure is another notable loss for the Oilers, with the fly-half having played a crucial role in the club's maiden Eric Shirley Shield (ESS) title triumph last season.##NAJAVA_MECA_10062777##His kicking proved decisive as the Nakuru-based side defeated KCB Rugby in Ruaraka to lift the reserve league crown.However, Buyachi is confident that the changes will not derail the team's ambitions, pointing to the progress made by the squad as new combinations begin to take shape.The coach, who took over from long-serving Gibson Weru, believes the Oilers are moving in the right direction despite the challenges that come with assembling a new-look team.Brian Wahinya opens up on mental strength after Kenya Cup final disappointmentWeru, who guided the side for a decade, has since moved into the Director of Rugby role, leaving Buyachi with the task of maintaining the club's competitive standards while building on the foundation laid by his predecessor.Buyachi was encouraged by the team's response after a disappointing Main Cup quarter-final defeat to KCB Rugby, with the Oilers bouncing back to register a commanding 76-point performance in their subsequent Impala Floodlights match against Strathmore Leos."It was a big win for the boys, especially after last weekend's disappointing performance, when we lost to KCB in the Main Cup quarter-finals. ##NAJAVA_MECA_10062778##We went back, reviewed our performance, and worked on the areas where we had struggled, particularly the set-piece and our general kicking. We have tried to address those issues, and the boys stepped up and delivered," Buyachi said.The coach rated the team's progress at eight out of 10, although he acknowledged that there is still work to be done as the squad continues to develop cohesion."From the quarter-finals to now, I would rate the boys at 8/10. It is still a work in progress because we are assembling a new squad and building new combinations. Specmagic reveals what makes Kenyan rugby uniqueTo put in performances like these at this stage shows that there is some great work going on within the team," he added.The Oilers are also keen to improve on last season's Kenya Cup campaign, when they failed to reach the semi-finals."Last year, we did not make the semi-finals, yet we have been perennial semi-finalists in previous seasons. Our goal remains to improve on last year's performance and continue making progress as a team," Buyachi said.##NAJAVA_MECA_10062779##The coach has also welcomed the integration of players from the recently concluded National Sevens Circuit, with Paul Mutsami, John Okoth, Philip Okeyo, and Jeff Ojuok among those who have blended into the 15s setup."So far, so good. Coming from the sevens circuit, players like Mutsami and Jeff Ojuok have blended well with the side. I believe we are in a good place as we continue to build towards the challenges ahead," he said.Buyachi is now tasked with filling the void left by Weru while ensuring the Oilers remain competitive as they target another strong Kenya Cup campaign.Humphrey Kayange identifies current Kenya Sevens player possessing his qualities"These are big shoes to fill following Coach Gibu's departure, but the task ahead is clear. Our goal is to build momentum, keep improving and ultimately challenge for the Kenya Cup," he said.The Oilers will face Kenyatta University's Blak Blad in the Impala Floodlights Plate final on Saturday, 31 October, at the Impala Grounds.
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