Daystar Falcons edge MMUST in tense Kenya Cup relegation battle

Originally slated for 6 December 2025, the university derby had been postponed due to examinations. When it did take place, it proved to be a tense, hard-fought contest, with both sides battling to escape the relegation zone. 

The opening try came after 15 minutes, when the visitors struck first through Owino’s clever play on the left wing. Earlier, Falcons fly-half Eddy Wambugu had missed a penalty, giving MMUST a brief reprieve. Flavian Otiyo then converted a penalty to close the gap to 5–3, before adding another to edge the hosts ahead. 

Daystar responded strongly in the second quarter. Ezekiel Omeno and Chris Obuya each crossed the line, stretching the lead to 15–6, though Wambugu failed to add the conversions. Otiyo kept MMUST in the fight with a brilliant try, narrowing the score to 11–15 at halftime. 

The second half was equally intense. Thirteen minutes in, Otiyo slotted another penalty while Daystar played a man down, bringing the score to 14–15. But the Falcons struck back quickly with a try that pushed them to 20–14. In the dying minutes, MMUST’s Bevon Okoth scored a try that gave the home side hope, but Otiyo’s conversion attempt drifted wide, sealing a one-point defeat at 19–20. 

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Daystar Falcons head coach Caleb Bosire described the match as a battle for survival. “Coming into this weekend, we really wanted to win because points here lift us higher on the table. Survival comes first, you need to survive before you do anything,” he said. He added that rugby is “a game of inches, with such small spaces and margins, you must step up both at home and away.” 

The victory marked Daystar’s third win of the season, their first away triumph in the Kenya Cup, and MMUST’s first home loss.