From Menengai Oilers to Canada: Inside Clinton Odhiambo's inspiring rugby journey

After a decade of dedicated service to Menengai Oilers, Clinton Odhiambo, aka Salah, is set to embark on a new chapter in his rugby career.

The seasoned back-row lock, who has been an integral part of the club since its inception, will be making his debut this April at St. George’s Rugby Club in Canada, ahead of their pre-season.

Odhiambo's journey with Menengai Oilers began in 2015, making him the club’s longest-serving player.

With 121 caps for Oilers, five Kenya Simbas caps, a Kenya Cup finals appearance, and a National 7s Circuit title, his impact on the team has been profound. 

His leadership both on and off the pitch has left an indelible mark on the club and its players.

In an exclusive interview with Mtaa Wangu, Odhiambo reflected on his time at the club and the path that led him to this moment.

Odhiambo shares that his rugby journey was a detour from football. During his high school years at Nakuru Day, he envisioned a career in football.

However, after trying out football, basketball, and hockey, he found the competition in those sports overwhelming and resorted to trying his luck with rugby, despite knowing little about it at the time.

“I started playing rugby in Form Two and never looked back. Due to the risks associated with the sport, I never told my parents I had joined rugby. Every time I got injured, I told them I had it while playing football,” he recalls

Circumstances would later force him to open up to his parents that he was a rugby player, after his school qualified for the National’s in 2013.

He reveals that the need for pocket money to sustain himself during the week-long tournament made him come clean.

“My parents were not welcoming to the idea of me playing a high contact game for fear of injuries and more to it my participation in the game had at some point affected my school performance. They were hell bent on me quitting the sport. However, I kept at it. Finally, it started opening doors for me after high school,” he notes 

Describing his journey, he says he is a fruit of the Nakuru RFC's (Wanyore) Age Grade Academy, where he learnt the ropes in rugby before he featured for the team’s second tire side in the Eric Shirley Shield (ESS) tournaments and later on a Kenya cup appearance for the team.

Odhiambo holds fond memories of his time at Nakuru RFC, especially with his mentor, the late Mike Okombe, and his close bond with KCB Rugby’s back-row player Martin Owila.

He also reminisces about his training days with Oilers' head coach Gibson Weru and forwards coach Lawrence Buyachi, who were instrumental in shaping his career.

"It was a proud moment for me when I joined the Oilers, seeing that my decision to pursue a career in rugby ended up being a double blessing. I got into a competitive club with a promising career in rugby and a scholarship to pursue a Plant Engineering and Building and Construction Engineering course,” he notes, while counting his academic achievement as a plus to his professional life.

During his 10 years of service, Odhiambo notes that he found a family in the Oilers team, something he says he counts himself lucky to have.

He says leaving the team never crossed his mind, noting that he thought he would hang his boots while still serving the team.

At the club, Odhiambo notes that the hardest game he fights to forget was the highly contested 2021/2022 Kenya Cup final against Kabras Sugar, where they were chasing their maiden title but fell short in the final.

On the other hand, his most memorable game is still from the same season when they beat KCB Rugby in the Kenya Cup semi-finals to qualify for the final against Kabras Sugar. At the tournament he notes that he outdid himself and was proud of his team's win.

“I can’t be more grateful for the love and support accorded to me by the Oilers family, from the coaches for the instrumental training that shaped me into who I am today and my teammates for the brotherhood that pushed us to achieve what once seemed out of reach.”

“Additionally, the club gave me the platform that made me donning the Kenyan jersey and representing the country a reality,” he remarks, mentioning their floodlit win and Sevens Championship title as a club and great performances in the matches they have played together.

Speaking on Odhiambo's impact on the team, Menengai Oilers head coach, Weru, notes that it’s a mixed feeling for them as they are happy for him in his new chapter but, at the same time, sad to lose a player of his calibre.

“Clinton is the most capped player in Oilers, donning our jersey 121 times and holding the record for the most played matches by a player in the club's history. Moreover, he has five Simbas international caps, six Currie Cup appearances, a Super Series trophy with the Cheetahs Franchise in 2024, a Kenya Cup finals appearance in 2022 against Kabras,a Floodlit main Cup in 2024, and a 2022 Sevens Series Championship,” he says, describing him as a leader and dedicated player who could balance his physicality and skill on the pitch.

Weru notes that before his departure, Odhiambo contributed five tries in the ongoing Kenya Cup challenge and played his last game against Kenya Harlequins.

From Odhiambo, his advice to former players is, “Better never stops. They are a great team, and for all the years they have been on top, do not let it be in vain or let it fade away. They just have to continue ticking the right boxes and handle each game as it comes, and they will surely settle for greatness,” he concludes, sharing that he will certainly miss being a senior player, calling some shots, and mingling with his teammates.

At the time of the interview, Odhiambo was in Victoria for a few days before moving to London, Ontario, to kick off with his new club in about a month’s time.