Former Kisii Rugby player Charlton Mokua has been appointed head coach as the club targets a return to the Kenya Cup next season.

Club chairman Bob Onchong’a said Mokua was among five coaches who applied for the vacant position, and they opted for a candidate who understands their history and philosophy.

Mokua takes over from Nelvin Lumiti, who has been serving as interim coach following the exit of Lee Aristone, who joined Kenya Cup powerhouse Kabras Sugar as a backs coach. Mokua will be unveiled on Saturday at Tendere Sports Grounds during the club's age-grade tournament.

“Mokua is one of the pioneer players of the club, and when he showed interest, we settled on him. He understands the club’s history and philosophy. The other coaches who applied were overqualified,” said Onchong’a.

After his stint as a player at Kisii, Mokua featured for several Kenya Cup sides, including Nakuru, Kabras, Harlequins and Nondies. He has also coached several schools, among them Lenana High School.

Onchong’a said the new coach would have a free hand in selecting his assistant. Former coach and chairman Eric Bosire and Cardinal Otunga High School assistant coach Edward Sokoine have already expressed interest in joining the club’s technical bench.

The chairman played down the departure of two of the club’s influential players, Samson Mapesa and Michael Oyoo, insisting that Kisii had recruited promising youngsters capable of filling the void.

Hooker and front-row forward Mapesa joined KCB Rugby, while Oyoo has moved to Kenya Cup champions Kabras Sugar. “We signed a group of exciting and talented young players who are ready to feature for the club,” said Onchong’a.

The chairman also announced that he had ended his brief break from the game and was ready to resume his duties as the club pursues its ambitions. “I’m back and ready to help the club achieve its ambitions,” said the former Mean Machine captain.

Onchong’a said Kisii’s primary objective was to secure promotion to the Kenya Cup next season after falling short of their target last term. “We had a good campaign last season, but we did not achieve our target to play in the playoffs because we failed to honour our game against Mombasa RFC,” he said.

He added: “The players have gained experience, and we want to play in the KRU Championship final and seal Kenya Cup qualification.”

However, Onchong’a acknowledged that Kisumu RFC and MMUST would pose a significant challenge, given their top-flight experience.

Both sides were relegated from the Kenya Cup last season. Meanwhile, Administration Police (AP) Warriors and Kenya Prisons will make their KRU Championship debuts, replacing relegated United States International University-Africa (USIU-A) and Western Bulls.

Kisii will launch their campaign against National Youth Service (NYS) Spades on November 21 at the NYS headquarters in Nairobi before hosting Catholic University of Eastern Africa’s Catholic Monks the following weekend at Cardinal Otunga High School, Mosocho.