Arnold Agonda’s rugby journey began with a missed opportunity in football and a timely intervention from Kenya Sevens fly half, Nygel Amaitsa.The two were dorm mates at Musingu High School, and Amaitsa set Agonda on a path that has since taken him to the international stage.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsAgonda was playing football and hoped to represent Musingu’s Scorpions. However, the stiff competition for places in the school team meant he could not break through, forcing him to consider a different sporting path.That was when Amaitsa, who was already playing rugby, encouraged his dorm mate to give the sport a chance. The advice would prove pivotal in shaping Agonda’s career.“I played football in Form One, but I could not make the school team because the competition was stiff. That is when I turned to rugby, having been encouraged to take it up by my dorm mate, Nygel Amaitsa,” Agonda recalled.Meet South Africa's fleet-footed beast who left fans in awe at 2026 Safari 7sAmaitsa took on a mentorship role, helping Agonda find his feet in the game. By the time he left Musingu, Agonda was in Form Two and already making significant progress as a player.“He mentored me in Form One, and by the time he left in Form Two, I was already doing well. From there, I continued to grow and develop as a player,” he added.Agonda’s development was also shaped by his cousin, Denver Achero, who turns out for Kisumu RFC, and Kenya Rugby Referees Association (KRRA) president Alfred Okwemba, both of whom played important roles in his rugby journey.##NAJAVA_MECA_10032864##With time, what started as an alternative to football became a passion that has continued to define his sporting journey.“I fell in love with rugby, and to date, that love for the sport has never faded,” Agonda said.Agonda’s progress has been evident in his performances for Daystar Falcons, where he has established himself as a promising player. He was part of the Falcons side that finished fourth at the National 7s Circuit.His impressive displays earned him a call-up to the Kenya Morans, the national men’s sevens development side, marking another significant milestone in his career.Clinton Amukwachi opens up on toughest moments during injury rehabilitationAgonda subsequently featured in the squad that won the Africa Men’s 7s title in Mauritius before helping the Morans finish runners-up at the Safari 7s in Nairobi.The Safari 7s campaign brought his journey with Amaitsa full circle. The two former dorm mates found themselves on opposite sides of the pitch in the all-Kenyan final, with Amaitsa representing Kenya’s senior sevens side, Shujaa, while Agonda turned out for the Morans.Shujaa eventually claimed the title with a 19-5 victory, but the occasion offered a moment to celebrate more than the result: two players whose rugby journeys had begun together at Musingu High School were now sharing the stage at one of Kenya’s biggest rugby tournaments.Kevin Wambua welcomes squad selection headache ahead of HSBC SVNS 2For Amaitsa, seeing the player he once encouraged develop into a national team prospect has been a source of pride.“I feel proud watching him play at this level and seeing how much he has grown as a player. Sharing the pitch with him is also a special feeling. I am a proud mentor, and it is rewarding to see how far he has come since those days at Musingu High School. I wish him all the best, and I hope he continues to rise to even greater heights,” he said.
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