New officials elected at KRU after stalemate
Kenya Rugby Union chairman Oduor Gangla follows proceedings during the AGM at RFUEA, Nairobi on March 30, 2022.
What you need to know:
- However, Lanco warned that KRU could go the Football Kenya Federation’s way with a caretaker committee being put in place upon suspension.
- The whiite smoke billowed from the Union when the affiliates took a vote to allow the counties to participate in the voting.
Moses Ndale has been elected the new Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) vice chairman with Ian Mugambi and Joshua Aroni retaining their secretary and treasurer's posts respectively.
The officials were elected after a protracted push and shove that lasted several hours on Tuesday evening during the union’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa ground.
Oscar Mango was re-elected as a director with Leslie Mwangale coming in as a new director.
Ndale garnered 20 votes to beat outgoing director Peris Mukoko, who managed 11 votes, and will now replace Thomas Opiyo, who didn’t seek re-election.
Mugambi saw off Raymond Olendo, polling 18 votes against 13 to retain his seat, as Aroni was for the second time elected unopposed.
The two posts of director attracted incumbents Mango, Hilary Itela, Leslie Mwangale and Charles Chege.
However, it’s Mango and Mwangale who garnered 23 and 16 votes respectively to get the nod, as Itela (15) and Chege (6) fell by the wayside.
The positions of chairman and three directors were not up for elections.
The AGM also saw Nationwide League clubs Meru Rugby Football Club and Vihiga Granites granted full affiliation to the KRU, bringing the total number of KRU affiliates to 51.
However, only 23 affiliates were allowed to participate in the elections, having fully complied with the Sports Act 2013.
The elections were to be held on March 30 this year, but were called off after most clubs failed to comply with the Sports Act 2013.
Registrar of Sports, Rose Wasike stopped the elections that were to be held alongside the Annual General Meeting after only two out of 47 affiliates complied- KCB Rugby Club and Administration Police.
KRU chairman Oduor Gangla had initially resolved to postpone the elections by a fortnight, but Rugby Afrique observer Paula Lanco advised that another postponement could result in a possible ban by World Rugby.
This time around, there was a deadlock on whether counties were eligible to participate as per the Sports Act 2013 considering that the KRU constitution only vested the voting powers to the clubs.
Wasike, who was in attendance, directed that the elections be held by November.
However, Lanco warned that KRU could go the Football Kenya Federation’s way with a caretaker committee being put in place upon suspension.
The whiite smoke billowed from the Union when the affiliates took a vote to allow the counties to participate in the voting.
The affiliated counties are: Bungoma, Embu, Kajiado, Kakamega, Kiambu, Kisumu, Kwale, Meru, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Siaya, Uasin Gishu and Vihiga.
