NAIROBI, Kenya, March 29 – Newly-elected Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chair Alexander “Sasha” Mutai will have a crowded in-tray as he assumes the reins at the national governing body for the sport in the country.
Mutai was elected unopposed during the national polls held on Wednesday evening at the RFUEA Grounds along Ngong Road after immediate former chair Oduor Gangla chose not to defend his position.
Of immediate concern to the new boss are the national teams, which are due for international assignments in the next few months.
The men’s national 15s side, Simbas, kick off their Currie Cup campaign on Saturday against Bolland Kavaliers in Cape Town and Mutai revealed that they will do their best to provide the team with the best preparations.
“The short term is to get the 15s and 7s sides the best training environment that we can. For the 15s, we have to get them to the World Cup…that starts now and indeed, they are supposed to compete in the Currie Cup so we have to make sure that that happens. For the Kenya 7s, in the past week we managed to get them residential training in Kasarani (ahead of Singapore and Hong Kong Sevens),” Mutai said.
He added: “We got them the best training environment that we can because we also have to consider the resources. We also have the women’s team set to go to Madagascar as well as Chipu (national under20 15s side). We have to give our national teams the best that we can if we want them to perform. So, the board’s responsibility will be to provide the teams with the resources they require.”
In the long term, Mutai has set his sights on the 2027 Rugby World Cup as one of the key milestones of his tenure at the helm of the rugby body.
“I believe it is very achievable because we have always been a game away from qualifying. In 2014, we were only a game away and even beat Namibia and Madagascar before we lost to Zimbabwe. So, this time with proper planning from the beginning to the end, I believe we shall do it,” he said.
He will be counting on the support of the KRU board, which includes Moses Ndale (vice chairperson), Raymond Olendo (secretary) and Joshua Aroni (treasurer) as well as six directors.
As ‘captain of the rugby team’, Mutai said he will unite them to harness their respective talents and take the sport to a higher level within the next four years.
“The team that I have gotten is very capable…I know every one on that team. Rugby is a team game and no one can do this alone. Everyone on that team has got their own merits and talent and my role as chair will be to harness these talents and work together to bring the game back up,” he said.
One of the issues the new team will have to grapple with is enticing potential partners from the corporate world to troop back to support the game as was the case in the yesteryears.
The dwindling fortunes of Kenyan rugby has seen many clubs limping financially, including the national teams whose players have gone for months without their allowances.
Mutai said the KRU team will be looking to package rugby as a valuable product that can bring attract as many corporate sponsors as possible.
“We know what we are capable of as a country. Of late, we have been experiencing a lot of issues but we want to correct all that. I know with teamwork, we shall conquer,” he said.
Mutai added: “What we are going to do is bring back confidence. We want to run it (KRU) like a business. What we are going to do is to bring back the partners. We are calling them partners and not sponsors because we are going to give them value as they give value back and work together to grow this game.”
Having served as vice chair and director at the union in the past, many will not expect Mutai to need a lot of time to acclimatise to his new role.
The new boss concluded by saying that Wednesday’s election was the beginning of the implementation of his vision for the game, which he has had for a long time.
The vision may have been delayed following his loss to Gangla at the last polls in 2017 but the chance for it to come to fruition has arrived.
All eyes will be on Mutai to see him walk his talk.
New KRU top officials
Chairperson: Alexander “Sasha” Mutai
Vice Chairperson: Moses Ndale
Secretary: Raymond Olendo
Treasurer: Joshua Aroni
Directors: Harriet Okach, John Kilonzo, Moses Mukabane, Ochieng Ahaya, Leslie Mwangale, Humphrey Kayange
