Lawi Buyachi on pressures of succeeding Gibson Weru at Menengai Oilers’ after a decade

Lawi Buyachi has acknowledged the demands that come with taking charge of Menengai Oilers as he begins his new role in Nakuru.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsBuyachi was appointed Oilers head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season, taking over from Gibson Weru, who had been at the helm since 2016.The appointment marks a significant milestone in Buyachi's coaching career, having worked his way up through different rugby setups before earning the opportunity to lead a club of Oilers' stature.However, his first competitive assignment did not go according to plan, as the defending champions suffered a 31-24 defeat to KCB Rugby in the Impala Floodlights quarterfinals on Saturday, 17 October.##NAJAVA_MECA_10036278##Despite the disappointing result, Buyachi is confident that the experience will provide valuable lessons as he works to shape the team for the challenges ahead.The former Kabras RFC player admitted that he had mixed feelings when he learned he would be taking charge of Oilers."When I received the news that I would be Menengai Oilers' head coach this season, I had mixed reactions. As a coach, you always want to lead a team at the highest level, but this is my first head coaching role in the Kenyan rugby setup, and taking charge of a club of Oilers' stature is both challenging and demanding," Buyachi said.Former Kenya Harlequin forward lands coaching role in KisiiThe tactician acknowledged that the workload has been considerable but expressed confidence in the technical bench assembled around him."The workload is immense, but I am fortunate to have an amazing and experienced coaching team around me. Everyone brings different ideas, and our job is to combine those ideas, work together, and see how far we can go," he added.For Buyachi, the appointment is also recognition of the work he has put in behind the scenes, with the backing of fellow coaches providing an important vote of confidence in his abilities."This appointment is a culmination of the hard work I have put in behind the scenes. When fellow coaches recommend you for a bigger role, it shows that they trust your abilities, believe in what you can bring to the setup, and have confidence in your capacity to take on the responsibility," he explained.Former Kenya Sevens star Biko Adema lands coaching job in QatarBuyachi further noted that the team had a solid preseason and was joined by the backs who were competing in the National 7s Circuit."Preseason was intense. We went through the entire 12-week cycle, but unfortunately, the backs joined us later after completing the 7s circuit. We have therefore been trying to catch up with them and get the entire squad into shape," he said.The preparations were put to the test against KCB, with the Bankers applying early pressure that left Oilers struggling to find their rhythm.Buyachi admitted that his charges took time to settle into the contest but showed signs of recovery in the second quarter, coming close to drawing level before halftime.##NAJAVA_MECA_10036258##"As expected, the match against KCB was very intense. They came at us hard from the opening minutes, and we struggled to withstand the pressure. The boys eventually settled in during the second quarter, and we came close to drawing level before halftime," he said.However, KCB regained control in the opening quarter of the second half, forcing Oilers onto the back foot and making the comeback more difficult."In the opening quarter of the second half, KCB put us under pressure again, and we struggled to cope. We then found ourselves chasing the game, which made things even more difficult," Buyachi added.Although the defeat ended Oilers' title defence in the Impala Floodlights, Buyachi is not reading too much into the result.How teams can break Kabras' hegemony in Rugby 15sHe pointed to the fact that the match was the team's first competitive outing of the 15s season."I am not too worried. This was our first competitive game, and naturally, there was pressure, especially with several young players coming into the squad," he said.The coach insists the defeat will not derail his plans."This is not the end of the road for us. We will go back, identify the areas that need improvement, sharpen our game, and see how far we can go," he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_10036272##Buyachi brings considerable playing and coaching experience to his new role, having featured for Uganda's Pirates, Impala RFC, Nakuru RFC and Kabras RFC during his active years.The World Rugby-accredited coach also gained experience through guest coaching stints at South Coast Pirates, Kabarak RFC, Kabras RFC and Eldoret RFC.He left Top Fry Nakuru in 2017 to take up a coaching role at South Coast Pirates before returning to playing in 2019 when he joined Kabras RFC.He eventually retired from playing in 2022 to focus on coaching full-time.South Africa 7s legend opens up on the most difficult period of his careerIn August 2022, Buyachi landed his first major head coaching opportunity when he was appointed Kisumu RFC head coach on a one-year contract, just three days after celebrating his 35th birthday.His appointment proved fruitful, as he guided Kisumu RFC to promotion to the Kenya Cup at the end of the 2022/23 KRU Championship season, securing the club's return to the top flight for the 2023/24 campaign.Buyachi left Kisumu in October 2023 to join Menengai Oilers' coaching staff.