Rugby clubs vow to proceed with special meeting

What you need to know:

  • KRU directors accused of financial mismanagement during tournaments.

Twenty local rugby clubs have vowed to proceed with plans for a special general meeting on February 10, saying they cannot continue working under the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) board whose members they said are out to ruin the game.

Speaking on behalf of club officials on Friday, Stormers RFC chairman Kennedy Wesonga accused some directors sitting on the KRU board of financial mismanagement during the 2014 Safaricom Safari Sevens and Bamburi Rugby Super Series.

“We can’t have almost half of the board resigning, yet some implicated in dirty deals that have brought the game to disrepute still remain,” said Wesonga.

The officials said it was their constitutional right to hold the meeting and address issues affecting the game, the 20 clubs claimed that some directors in the KRU board scuttled Kenya’s bid to host one of the legs of the World Rugby Sevens Series.

OVERSTEPPED MANDATE

They charged that Kenya 15s team was on the verge of qualifying for the 2015 Rugby World Cup but the dream was shattered when some directors interfered with team selection and the technical bench.

The officials also said Kenya’s dream of playing in the 2016 Olympics is threatened by some board members who are interfering with Kenya Sevens team management.

The club officials also indicated that haphazard travel arrangements made by a board member for Kenya’s team to the 2015 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series qualifier in Hong Kong saw some members of the team remain behind. 

The team had only two hours to sleep before preparing for their opening match after a 14-hour flight.

However, KRU vice chairman, Philip Jalang’o, had earlier indicated that the special general meeting can’t take place in the next few days when KRU’s annual general meeting is due in March.

Wesonga said all was well at KRU until a supremacy battle between former CEO Jack Okoth and secretary-general Eddie Omondi played out before the World Rugby and sponsors.