Ruto celebrates Kenya’s Chipu for clinching Africa U20 Barthes title
By Joel Masibo, August 13, 2026President William Ruto has led the country in celebrating the Kenya Under-20 national rugby team, famously known as Chipu, for clinching the 2026 Rugby Africa U20 Barthes title in Uganda on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
The Kenyan prodigies edged Namibia 33-14 to lift the crown in Kampala after an impressive run at the tournament. Taking to his official social media pages on Thursday, August 13, 2026, Ruto said:
“We celebrate the Kenya Under-20 national rugby team, Chipu, for bringing home the 2026 Rugby Africa U20 Barthés Trophy after a commanding 33-14 victory over Namibia in Kampala, Uganda. By securing a record fourth Barthés Trophy, the team has raised the bar for Kenyan rugby and shown what our young talent can achieve on the continental stage. The focus now turns to the World Rugby Junior Trophy. We will stand with you and support you as you prepare to represent Kenya on the world stage. Hongera Chipu,” he said.
Simon Jawichre on Chipu’s triumph
Meanwhile, the side’s head coach Simon Jawichre believes a strong team spirit, smart tactical changes and valuable senior-level experience were behind Chipu’s successful campaign at the Barthes Cup in Kampala.
Kenya entered the tournament with only nine training sessions conducted between July and August. In contrast, Zimbabwe and Namibia had enjoyed about two months of preparations in South Africa.
Despite the disadvantage, Jawichre said the players’ togetherness and attitude helped the team overcome the limited time available.
“The boys fought hard and bonded very well in the training sessions and took ownership of the team from the time we landed and just enjoyed themselves on the pitch,” said Jawichre.
The coach also pointed to Kenya’s ability to adapt tactically as another important factor in their success. He noted that several members of the squad had already gained experience playing in senior competitions, giving them an advantage during the tournament.
“We made tactical tweaks, knowing our strengths. We had a solid set of forwards and the X-factor in the backs. Remember, most of our players played in the Kenya Cup, ESS and a few in the Championship. That helped us greatly for this campaign,” he added.
Following the triumph, Jawichre wants Kenya to create more opportunities for young players by establishing a Super Series Under-20 competition.
“We need to build on that. There is enough talent, but it needs to be harnessed and ensure these players play competitive rugby against their peers,” he said.
Captain Justin Ngombe also acknowledged the difficulty posed by Namibia but praised Chipu for maintaining their composure and controlling the contest.
“The Namibians came hard at us, but we managed to control the game. We didn’t expect that they would be this tough, considering that they didn’t play particularly well against Tunisia in the semi-finals,” said Ngombe.
Kenya went into the interval with a 14-0 advantage and continued to dictate proceedings after the restart.
Michael Lukusi, Jibril Lugonzo, Brian Kiptanui, Rayvon Ambale and replacement forward Randy Outuma each crossed the line for Chipu. Namibia responded with tries from Nzola Nkunku and Ethan Sinden, but Kenya remained firmly in control.
The victory completed an outstanding tournament for Kenya, who had started their campaign by defeating Zimbabwe 35-21.
The latest success also strengthened Chipu’s record in the competition since its rebranding in 2016. Kenya have now lifted the Barthes Cup four times, adding the 2026 title to their previous triumphs in 2019, 2021 and 2024.
Zimbabwe claimed third place after defeating Tunisia 38-12 in the bronze-medal encounter.
For Jawichere, however, the latest championship should be the beginning of a longer-term development programme rather than a one-off achievement. He believes consistent Under-20 competition would help young players make the transition from the Under-16 and Under-18 levels to senior rugby.
The priority now is to turn Chipu’s latest continental success into a foundation for a sustainable player-development system capable of producing more players ready for senior international rugby.