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Mean Machines during the Embu 7s/HANDOUT Mean Machine chairman Simon Omondi says the University of Nairobi side is determined to return to the Kenya Cup next year and mark its 50th anniversary with a top-flight comeback. “That is a very active thought in each member of our team. We are determined to make a return in the Kenya Cup next year and at the same time celebrate our 50th anniversary,” said Omondi. The Machines, who won the Kenya Cup in 1977, 1989 and 1990, last featured in the top flight during the 2022/23 season. Their ambitions have received a boost after they won the Division Two title at the recently concluded Embu Sevens, earning automatic promotion to Division One in the next round of the national sevens circuit. Omondi said the team’s success is particularly encouraging given that Mean Machine is largely made up of university students, with several recently graduated players also featuring in the squad. “The majority of our players are eligible to play in the University games, while the others are mainly recently graduated team players,” he said. Despite the challenges they have faced, Omondi believes the team is motivated to make an impression during the Christie Sevens set for this weekend at the RFUEA grounds. “It’s been a struggle to get here. The team is very motivated. We don’t let lack of enough resources demoralise us. We are working with what is available,” he said. “For Division One, nothing changes. We will put in the effort as we have been doing, and hopefully we will make a mark. Individually, everyone is ready, and also as a team we are ready. We started pre-season preparations early, and the players have been preparing their bodies. The guys who are also playing in the sevens will provide a major boost.” However, Omondi says financial constraints remain a major threat to the club’s ambitions, with the team struggling to retain its best players and adequately support its technical staff. “We are facing financial constraints, and the coaches are sometimes doing pro bono. We don’t have the capacity to retain our best players if they opt to join other teams. This is really a challenge for us, and it’s undermining our development,” he said.