NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 25- Innocent Simiyu has been reinstated as the Kenya Sevens head coach after mediation talks between the Kenya Rugby Union Board of Directors and Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa on Monday evening.
The meeting that went way into late evening came just after the Sports CS had a meeting with players over the Paris ‘Make it Kenya’ sponsorship blackout.
A press statement from the CS on Wednesday said;
“We resolved; Innocent Simiyu to be reinstated as the head coach of the Shujaa national team. In future, the federation to be consulting with the ministry before such key and serious decisions are made,”
Simiyu was sacked last Thursday evening after he took responsibility for the fiasco in Paris that saw players mask out the ‘Make it Kenya’ logo from their shirts in protest over lack of payment by the Union.
The Union’s decision to fire Simiyu just four months before his contract expired came as a reactionary measure with Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala cancelling the Sh20mn Brand Kenya sponsorship.
With CS Echesa having successfully mediated the tiff between the Union, Coach and the players, it is now left to be seen whether talks with his tourism counterpart Balala will see the Brand Kenya sponsorship reinstated as well.
The news comes as a huge shot in the arm for the team which is expected to hit camp anytime soon to start preparations for next month’s Rugby World Cup in San Francisco, United States.