Kabras RFC coach Carlos Katywa voices frustration over ESS changes
Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 21.11.25. | 16:32
At the end of last season, clubs were informed that an U20 league would replace the ESS beginning this season
Kabras RFC head coach Carlos Katywa has expressed deep frustration following the release of the new Eric Shirley Shield (ESS) format for the upcoming season.
Under the new structure, the ESS has been split into two regions: Eastern and Western.
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The Eastern region features seven Nairobi-based Kenya Cup sides: KCB Rugby, Nondies, Kenya Harlequins, Strathmore Leos, Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad, Impala RFC, and Daystar Falcons.
The Western region, meanwhile, consists of Kabras Sugar and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) from Kakamega, Menengai Oilers and Nakuru RFC from Nakuru, and Kisumu RFC.
Previously, ESS and Kenya Cup matches ran consecutively, with ESS fixtures curtain-raising top-flight games.
That model appears to have ended after the 2024/25 season.
Katywa says what teams were promised in its place has not materialised.
At the end of last season, clubs were informed that an U20 league would replace the ESS beginning this season.
Kabras, like many teams, immediately began recruiting young players in anticipation of the new pathway.
However, with the release of the new format, those plans have been upended.
“I am disappointed because what was promised at the end of last season has not been delivered. We were told that a U20 league would be established, so we began recruiting more U20 players for our squad,” Katywa told Mozzart Sport.
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He further lamented the lack of consultation with coaches in making a decision he described as both unclear and impractical.
“Coaches have been sidelined in this decision, and the model being implemented doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Katywa believes the regional split places Western-based clubs at a distinct disadvantage.
“Teams in Nairobi will end up playing more games than those in the Western region. The ESS already places a significant financial burden on clubs; why should the matches not run simultaneously as before?” he questioned.
From a coaching standpoint, he added, the system hampers proper player development and monitoring.
“It is both disappointing and worrying. If my ESS side is playing in one location while my senior team plays elsewhere, how am I supposed to monitor both? I cannot be in two counties at the same time,” he said.
He reiterated that the proposed U20 league presented a clearer, more sustainable pathway for nurturing talent.
“The U20 league had real potential to nurture players, support club sustainability, and contribute to nation-building. I even recommended establishing a reserve team, which would have been more logical and inclusive. Instead, this current approach risks alienating some regions from the game,” he noted.
Kabras Sugar will kick off their Kenya Cup campaign against newly-promoted MMUST Rugby on Saturday, 22 November at the Kakamega Showground.
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