The CECAFA Kagame Cup will offer Tusker FC more than regional football glory, with the Brewers determined to use the tournament as the first step in their bid to reclaim the Kenya Premier League title after missing out on domestic success for the past four seasons.
Fresh from winning the 2025/2026 FKF Mozzart Bet Cup, Tusker will head to Kigali, Rwanda, for the regional tournament set for July 24 to August 7, hoping the competition will help shape the squad ahead of the 2026/2027 Kenya Premier League season.
Tusker secured a place in the tournament after Sudanese side Al Merrikh withdrew, handing the Kenyan club an unexpected chance to test themselves against some of the region's top teams.
Head coach Julien Mette believes the tournament comes at the right time as he continues building a side capable of returning the club to the top of Kenyan football after its last league triumph in the 2021/2022 season.
“We did not come here from France just to be tourists in East Africa; our objective is strictly to win," Mette said on Thursday after a training session at the Ruaraka grounds.
“I expect absolute discipline from day one because international tournaments do not forgive cheap defensive mistakes,” he warned.
Tusker have strengthened the squad ahead of the new campaign by signing Nigerian striker Victor Mbaoma from Remo Stars to boost the attack. The club has also brought back Harambee Stars captain Abud Omar, whose experience is expected to add stability, while experienced midfielder Sven Yidah has also joined the Brewers.
The new signings are expected to play a key role as Mette prepares his team for both regional and domestic assignments.
Tusker have been drawn in a demanding Group C alongside Sudan's Al Hilal, Rwanda's Rayon Sports and KVZ FC of Zanzibar.
The group will provide an early measure of the team's progress and offer Mette a chance to assess his squad against strong regional opposition as he looks to restore Tusker's status among Kenya's leading clubs after recent seasons in which Gor Mahia and Kenya Police FC have dominated the local game.
After their triumph in last season's Kenya Premier League ( KPL) title, Gor Mahia also landed an invitation to play in the CECAFA Club Championships.
Shield Cup winners Tusker were invited after Sudan's El Merreikh pulled out.
The CECAFA championships in Rwanda will be played at the Amahoro Stadium and the Kigali Pele Stadium, where the 12 invited teams will play.