Your annual rugby party ‘staring death’

What you need to know:

  • Omwela said Bamburi Cement have withheld their sponsorship for this year after Safaricom stopped its three-year sponsorship of Safari Sevens and five legs of the National Sevens Series.
  • Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore terminated the sponsorship on April 7 citing lack of transparency and accountability at the Union with Bamburi Cement also citing similar reasons.

This year’s Safari Sevens rugby tournament may not be staged after Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) admitted finding it difficult to secure a title sponsor following the withdrawal of Safaricom.

This comes in the wake of the cancellation of this year’s Bamburi Rugby Super Series (BRSS) after Bamburi Cement, who have facilitated the Series for a decade, also withdrew its sponsorship. Speaking at RFUEA ground Tuesday, KRU chairman Richard Omwela said that even though they have been in talks with several potential sponsors, they were yet to secure any funds.

“We have been talking to some sponsors but what some have offered can not enable us to stage a successful Safari Sevens tournament. We had a firm pledging Sh35 million but it’s too little for Safari Series and the National Circuit,” said Omwela.

Omwela said Bamburi Cement have withheld their sponsorship for this year after Safaricom stopped its three-year sponsorship of Safari Sevens and five legs of the National Sevens Series.

“Bamburi Cement have declined to commit top this year’s edition despite several meetings with them,” said Omwela, who termed it as a big blow.

“Kenya and Uganda used the BRSS to select their teams for international matches. In 2013, Safaricom signed a Sh140-million-a-year deal with KRU to sponsor the Sevens Circuit that had Dala Sevens, Christie Sevens, Kabeberi, Driftwood and Prinsloo Sevens besides Safari Sevens. Last year, the sponsorship agreement was renewed for a further three years. Safaricom had been Safari Sevens title sponsors since 2010.

MASSIVE RESIGNATIONS

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore terminated the sponsorship on April 7 citing lack of transparency and accountability at the Union with Bamburi Cement also citing similar reasons.

KRU board has since moved to suspend two directors Philip Jalang’o and Eddie Omondi after a forensic report implicated them in mismanagement especially at the two events among others.

Omondi, who was also the Union’s secretary general opted to resign but Jalang’o, who said the board had not mandate to suspend him, said he would wait for the outcome from a Special General meeting due June 6.

Mwangi Muthee, who served as the union’s chairman for four years, resigned in December saying happenings at the board had compelled him to resign since his agenda of driving the game further was being derailed.

Muthee, who was not happy with how some board members had handled Bamburi Super Series and Safari Sevens, indicated that the integrity of some Board members was not beyond reproach and threatened to bring the game into disrepute.

Directors Godwin Karuga, Maurice Masiga, Peninah Wahome and coach Paul Treu also resigned.