Day one of the 2025 Safari 7s tournament at Nyayo National Stadium was marred by a major lighting malfunction that temporarily brought the evening’s rugby action to a standstill. The highly anticipated annual event, which draws elite local and international teams, was plunged into darkness following a sudden floodlight failure shortly after 6:40 p.m., moments after Shogun’s narrow 17–14 win over KCB Rugby.
The disruption forced organizers to halt proceedings as technicians rushed to restore the lights. Matches scheduled for later in the evening — including Kenya Shujaa’s clash with Walukubi Rugby and the Legends exhibition match — had to be postponed to Saturday. Officials later confirmed that the technical hitch had been resolved, assuring fans and teams that the tournament would proceed smoothly on day two.
Before the outage, the action on the pitch had lived up to expectations. The Kenya Lionesses began their campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Tunisia 34–7 in a Group B encounter. Star winger Janet Okello crossed the line twice, while Edith Naliaka, Naomi Amuguni, and Faith Livoi also added tries. Conversions from Sinaida Mokaya and Moreen Muruti completed a dominant performance.
In the women’s Group A fixtures, defending champions Costa Blanca Barbarians began their title defense with a comfortable 29–0 victory over Mwamba Ladies Select. Meanwhile, the Kenya Cubs — the Lionesses’ development side — fell 32–5 to Shogun. Uganda also produced a spirited comeback to edge Belgium 12–10 after trailing 10–0 early in the contest.
In the men’s category, Kenya Morans cruised past ReUnion 24–0, displaying sharp execution and pace, while Zimbabwe overpowered Apache 33–17 in a physical encounter. Despite the delays, the matches played before the power failure offered glimpses of high-quality rugby and renewed optimism about the competitiveness of the local scene.
The unfortunate floodlight failure, however, cast a shadow on what was otherwise a vibrant start to one of Kenya’s premier rugby events. As the technical team worked overnight to prevent a recurrence, anticipation remained high for Saturday’s fixtures, with Shujaa and other crowd favorites set to take the field in pursuit of the coveted Safari 7s crown.
Day One Results:
Costa Blanca Barbarians 29–0 Mwamba Select
Shogun 32–5 Kenya Cubs
Uganda 12–10 Belgium
Kenya Lionesses 34–7 Tunisia
Kenya Morans 24–0 ReUnion
Zimbabwe 33–17 Apache
Shogun 17–14 KCB Rugby
