Mwamba RFC have strengthened their technical bench with the appointment of Jackson ‘Kalonje’ Katunga as the club’s new assistant coach.
Kalonje, an immediate former Impala RFC assistant coach will deputise former Shujaa coach Paul Murunga Amunavi who took charge of Kulabu at the start of the season following the club’s relegation from the Kenya Cup.
Under Murunga’s leadership, Mwamba have shown strong early signs of revival, winning two of their first three KRU Championship fixtures as they target a swift comeback to the premier league.
Kalonje joins with a wealth of experience and a reputation for transforming teams. He guided Impala RFC to the 2024 Impala Floodlights final and played a critical role in rekindling their sevens competitiveness. His work helped Impala return to the National Sevens Circuit with a solid 10th-place finish on 41 points, significant progress in a short window.
Before that, he enjoyed a successful spell with Makueni RFC, where he led the side to multiple achievements, including back-to-back National Sevens Circuit Division Two titles between 2016 and 2020. His coaching journey also includes mentoring top young prospects at Strathmore Leos, shaping emerging stars like Nygel Amaitsa and Victor Mola.
Speaking during his first training session with Mwamba, Kalonje shared his excitement and vision:
“I’m excited to join Mwamba. It’s my first training session and I feel great. My goal is to see Mwamba get back to the Kenya Cup and, in the sevens series, finish top three and make two to three finals. That will be success to me.”
Mwamba now shift focus to knockout rugby as they prepare to face Blak Blad this Saturday in the Enterprise Cup Round of 16, their first major test under the refreshed technical unit.