KRU systems broken, says ex-Simbas coach Odera
Kenya Simbas Coach Paul Odera during their training session at Impala Club on June 2, 2022 ahead of their Currie Cup First Division against South Africa's North West Leopards to be played at RFUEA ground in Nairobi on Saturday.
What you need to know:
- Odera resigned after their last match of their 2023 Rugby World Cup Final Qualification against Hong Kong 22-18 on November 18 in Dubai
- He said that the systems at KRU are broken to the extent that sponsors have shied away for lack of confidence and trust with the KRU board
- Odera said that the KRU board is a reflection of the clubs which elect officials of the KRU executive
The national rugby teams Kenya Simbas and Kenya Sevens Shujaa will continue to suffer if governance issues are not addressed at the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) secretariat, former Kenya Simbas head coach Paul Odera has said.
He said that the systems at KRU are broken to the extent that sponsors have shied away for lack of confidence and trust with the KRU board.
“Yes, post Covid-19 has had its effects but sponsors will hold what they have or keep it tight when they are dealing with a union that has governance and leadership issues, “said Odera.
Odera, who was accompanied by the newly appointed KRU Chief Executive Officer Aggrey Wabulwenyi, was speaking during the NTV’s Monday night sports show SportOn! hosted by Bernard Ndong and James Wokabi.
Odera resigned after their last match of their 2023 Rugby World Cup Final Qualification against Hong Kong 22-18 on November 18 in Dubai.
Kenya Simbas went out of contention for a place in the 2023 France Rugby World Cup after they had previously lost to the United States of America and Portugal 68-14 and 85-0 respectively.
The countdown to the last game against Hong Kong was riddled with boycotts owing to unpaid allowances as Odera was forced to stay out of training as the players engaged in touch rugby.
A boycott was averted when Hemingways Collection donated Sh 1.8 million in allowances to Kenya Simbas ahead of the Hong Kong match.
"Kenya Simbas locked me out of training sessions for two days because there were players whose families were starving," said Odera, adding that coaching Kenya Simbas was tough.
Last Sunday, Shujaa players almost failed to travel to Dubai for the next leg of the 2022/23 World Rugby Sevens Series protesting unpaid salaries and allowances dating back to three months.
Odera said that the KRU board is a reflection of the clubs which elect officials of the KRU executive.
“Good governance starts at the clubs. The challenges are systemic and structural more than personalities. I’ve been in rugby since 1994 and Wabulwenyi is my sixth CEO. I’ve seen five chairmen, but the problems remain the same,” said Odera.
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He said that Kenya has had some of the best sevens coaches in the world. “We simply need to change our thinking and embrace change,” he said.
Wabulwenyi acknowledged that there have been governance issues, but things are bound to change as he takes over as CEO.
“The easiest route to the Rugby World Cup is to beat Namibia but there needs to be a mindset shift,” said Wabulwenyi.
Kenya Simbas failed to qualify for the tournament directly in the African qualifiers held in France in July. The team lost 36-0 to Namibia in the final of the 2023 RWC Africa qualification.
The SportOn! show came only hours after KRU chairman Oduor Gangla apologised to Kenya Simbas and Kenya Sevens players for mistreating them.
Gangla offered the apology after meeting Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba who later also featured on NTV news segment at 9pm to address the “state of sports” in the country.
The CS who reprimanded Gangla and his team, saying KRU owed the stars more than an apology.
