2023 saw several sports stars from different disciplines announce their retirement from the respective genres.
Here, we look at some of the players who hang boots in the past 300-plus days.
Collins Injera
Kenya 7s legend Collins Injera announced his retirement in January, ending his illustrious 17-year career in the sport. In a statement released on Tuesday, January 24, Injera, the all-time leading scorer in Kenya and the second-highest scorer in the HSBC World Sevens Series revealed that he decided to hang up his boots after attentively "listening" to his body.
Injera's rugby journey began at Vihiga High School in Vihiga, and after graduating in 2005, he joined the military team Ulinzi RFC, competing in the Kenya Cup league. Following the team's disbandment, he moved to Mwamba RFC, a Nairobi-based team, where he excelled as a wing.
Establishing himself as a formidable player for the Kenyan Sevens squad, Injera made his debut in 2006 at the Dubai Sevens. His notable achievements include participating in the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens, where Kenya reached the semifinals. In the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series season, Injera emerged as the top try-scorer with an impressive 42 tries, scoring 210 points and finishing second in the individual points table behind England's Ben Gollings.
Besides Sevens' success, Injera also contributed to the Kenya Simbas (15s) at his customary position of left-wing (number 11), notably participating in the 2011 World Cup Qualifiers. His impact on the field led to a recall to the Kenyan squad for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town in 2022.
Injera's excellence in rugby earned him recognition, including a nomination for the 2008–09 IRB Sevens Player of the Year award and winning the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year award in 2009. In 2010, he received the prestigious presidential Order of Golden Warriors (OGW) alongside his brother Humphrey Kayange for their outstanding performance in the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series. He was named Player of the Final in the 2016 Singapore Sevens, a pivotal moment when he helped Kenya secure their first-ever victory in the World Sevens Series.
Injera is still involved in rugby off the field, he works with parliament and serves as the assistant coach at his club, Mwamba RFC.
Anthony Muki Kimani
Nairobi City Stars midfielder Anthony Muki Kimani bid farewell to professional football on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign, which took place on June 25, 2023.
Kimani marked his retirement by earning playtime in the last ten minutes of the match against Gor Mahia, registering his 19th appearance of the season and his 109th game donning the Nairobi City Stars colours over four and a half seasons. This match also marked his 284th appearance in the Kenyan Premier League. Despite Kimani's effort, Gor Mahia emerged victorious with a 4-1 win.
Kimani, who initiated his football career at Dagoretti Santos, joined Nairobi City Stars (formerly World Hope) in 2009. Over the years, he gained experience and maturity before briefly returning to Sofapaka. His standout performances earned him the Kenyan Premier League Midfielder of the Year award in 2010.
After a stint with Bandari for two seasons, Kimani took a hiatus from professional football due to work commitments. Nevertheless, he made a triumphant comeback in 2019, rejoining Nairobi City Stars and remaining with the team for two more seasons.
Besides his club career, Kimani made notable contributions to the Kenyan national team, Harambee Stars, representing them in the 2010 and 2012 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cups, amassing ten caps for his country.
Throughout his career, Kimani clinched several honours, including the 2010 and 2011 Kenyan Super Cup titles, as well as the 2013 FKF President’s Cup with Nairobi City Stars. He also secured the 2015 President’s Cup while at Bandari, along with the 2016 Kenyan Super Cup.
Stephen Waruru
Striker Stephen Waruru announced his retirement from football towards the end of last season. The seasoned player concluded his career at the age of 32 after making significant contributions to Bidco United, a team that earned promotion to the top flight in 2020 and successfully maintained its position in the premier division.
Waruru, renowned for his prowess on the field, initially gained fame during his nine-season stint with Ulinzi Stars. In 2017, he departed Ulinzi Stars for Sofapaka and later featured for KCB before joining Bidco United.
Following his retirement as a player, Waruru transitioned to a new role within the realm of football. He secured a position on the technical bench and was recently appointed as the team manager.
Billy Odhiambo
Kenyan International Billy Odhiambo decided to retire from professional rugby just moments after celebrating his 30th birthday on November 7.
The former captain of Mwamba RFC 7s chose to hang up his boots, concluding an illustrious career that spanned over a decade and left an indelible mark on rugby enthusiasts in Kenya and beyond.
Odhiambo's retirement comes after an impressive tenure of 68 tournaments representing the Kenya Sevens team. His remarkable career is further saw him have an outstanding achievement of scoring 111 tries for Kenya.
Throughout his tenure, he played a crucial role in major rugby events, including the Commonwealth Games, Olympics, and World Cup, contributing to Kenya's representation on the international rugby stage.
Willy Ambaka
Kenya 7s star Willy Ambaka announced his retirement from the International 7s stage following the Sydney 7s. In a statement posted on his social media pages in January, Ambaka expressed that he believed it was time to conclude his impressive 13-year journey. His decision came just days after the retirement of another Kenyan rugby legend, Collins Injera.
Ambaka commenced his rugby career with Kenya Harlequins in 2010. His talent caught the eye of Kenya Sevens head coach Benjamin Ayimba, recommended by Harlequins' strength and conditioning coach, Geoffrey Kimani. Ambaka made his debut for the national Kenya Sevens team at the 2011 Hong Kong Sevens tournament, representing them during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 IRB Sevens World Series.
His outstanding performance during the 2012-2013 season earned him a spot on the HSBC Sevens World Series Dream Team. In 2013, Ambaka was nominated for the IRB Sevens Player of the Year award, showcasing his prowess on the international stage. He also contributed to Kenya Sevens at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow and made a return in 2022 at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.
At the club level, Ambaka signed a professional contract with Lyon for the 2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 season, making history as the first Kenyan rugby player in the top two divisions in France. He played a crucial role as Lyon won the title and secured promotion to the Top 14 for the 2014–15 season.
Following his time in France, Ambaka joined South African Currie Cup side Western Province in 2014, but unfortunately, an ankle injury prevented him from making appearances during their title-winning season.
Ambaka's rugby journey extended to New Zealand, where he played for Manawatu in the Mitre 10 Cup, and he also had a stint with Russian side Narvskaya Zastava.
Other players who retired in 2023 are Samuel Olwande, Darwin Mukidza (Internnational -Simbas) and KCB Rugby captain Curtis Lilako.
