Osumba, the KCB fly half who finds joy in helping lonely homeless children
Sports
By
Washington Onyango
| Aug 26, 2025
Stephen Osumba in action during the Christie Sevens Rugby tournament at the RFUEA Grounds, Nairobi, on August 16, 2025. [KCB Rugby]
When Stephen Osumba steps onto the rugby field in the famous green and white colours of KCB, he plays with the confidence of a man who has found his calling.
Off the pitch, his heart beats just as strongly for children who have no home to return to, and it is in that space that his life finds balance—between chasing glory in rugby and bringing smiles to young faces.
Growing up in Umoja’s Tena Estate, Osumba’s story was not supposed to be about rugby. Like many children in his neighborhood, his first love was football.
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His parents encouraged him to be active, and before long, he found himself playing in Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) tournaments.
MYSA, a fertile ground for Kenyan football legends like Harambee Stars all-time top scorer Dennis Oliech, goalkeeper Arnold Origi and midfielder Jamal Mohammed, had become the place where dreams of stardom were born. But Osumba chose a different path.
“Football gave me my first lessons in sport, but when I discovered rugby in high school at St. Mary’s Yala, I felt something different,” he says.
“I wanted to be part of something bigger, something that made the whole school proud. That’s why I picked rugby over football, even when everyone thought football was the easier road.”
The shift came in Form Two, when he was introduced to rugby, St Mary’s School Yala’s pride. Inspired by the school’s rugby legends like Eden Agero and Isaac Adimo, Osumba made the bold switch.
By the time he was in his final year, his skill had matured enough to catch the eyes of KCB scouts at the KSSSA national championships.
Joining KCB RFC was a dream but not without challenges.
“Size was my biggest challenge,” Osumba admits with a laugh. “But rugby teaches you resilience. I had to prove that I could compete with the very best.”
Prove himself he did. In 2018, he announced his arrival in style, helping KCB win the Floodlit Tournament and walking away as the Most Valuable Player.
Today, Osumba has grown into the role of fly half, the team’s on-field general. He thrives in dictating attack patterns and organising defense, working alongside seasoned teammates like Samuel Asati and Vincent Onyala, under the guidance of coaches such as Dennis Mwanja and strength coach Andrew Amonde.
But even as rugby shapes his discipline and ambitions, Osumba’s heart finds joy elsewhere—at the Promise Giving Children’s Home, where he volunteers regularly.
“Helping these children gives me a kind of happiness that rugby alone cannot,” he said.
“Some of them don’t even know what a family feels like. If I can give them a smile, share my time, and show them they matter, then I feel I am doing something meaningful.”
His time at the children’s home is not about grand gestures. It is about presence—playing games with the children, helping with meals, and encouraging them to keep dreaming.
“For me, it’s about giving them hope. Rugby gave me hope, and I want them to know that no matter how hard life is, there is always a chance to change your story.”
Alongside his rugby career, Osumba has also invested in his education. He recently graduated with a degree in International Studies from Strathmore University, a milestone he says taught him balance and patience.
His dreams are clear—win the Kenya Cup with KCB and wear the national colours for both Shujaa and Kenya Simbas.
“There’s no greater feeling than representing your country,” he says.
Despite being called the “class clown” by his teammates, Osumba is serious about the legacy he wants to leave. “I want to be remembered not just for what I did on the pitch, but also for how I made a difference off it,” he says with a smile.