Kakamega High school alumnus and most celebrated former Kenya Sevens skipper and Kenya Simbas utility Humphrey Kayange has officially retired from international rugby.
The 35-year-old, who played for defunct Ulinzi and Mwamba as a forward and back, announced his retirement on Friday.
This news caught many rugby fans in Kenya by surprise with many lavishing praise on his glittering career that has spanned over 15 years.
Kayange has amazed and excited crowds for from 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens semifinals in Dubai, to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Alongside his brother Collins Injera, the two have been the icon and pioneers of Kenya rugby team.
Many of the Kenyan rugby fans have sparked a wave of tributes to Kayange, who also served as the World Rugby Anti-Doping ambassador besides spearheading rugby’s journey back to the Olympics.
According to Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman Richard Omwela, Kayange was the Kenya Sevens pillar for long.
He was an understanding and outstanding icon both at Kenya Sevens and Kenya Simbas. He further said that at times rugby game was seen as Kayange against the rest of the World.
Kayange has said he will now concentrate on his duty as a researcher at KEBS besides getting his Level II Coaching accreditation and as Athletes Representative at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K).
Kayange's move is similar and may have been influenced by the legendary Real Madrid Coach Zinedine Zidane, who also announced his exit as the Real Madrid coach.