OMWELA BEATS SASHA: He retains KRU chairman’s post in closely contested poll

Richard Omwela announcing his candidature for the Kenya Rugby Union Chairmanship on Feb.25, 2015 at KRU Grounds.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

Senior Nairobi counsel Richard Omwela got another two-year term at the helm of the Kenya Rugby Union after beating former vice chairman Sasha Mutai by two votes in a closely contested election at the RFUEA Grounds yesterday.

Omwela bagged 25 votes against his main challenger Sasha’s 23 votes as Western Bulls founder and immediate former director Rajinder Pape Sembi garnered nine votes.

“It was so close, but I am happy to be back because I still have unfinished business at the union. My target is to ensure we qualify for the 2019 World Cup in Japan and lure more sponsors back to the game,” said Omwela in his first address to the press after re-election.

Although Sasha conceded defeat, he said the result showed a clear vision that many people were not happy with the current leadership.

“The close contest clearly shows there is division and it means that there was a huge number that wanted change in the union,” said Sasha.

“But I am not bitter and I am in rugby for life and ready to work with the elected officials.”

Interestingly, all the four director candidates Sylvia Kamau (Strathmore), Ray Olendo (Kabras Sugar), Ian Mugambi (Blak Blad) and Ezekiel Owuor (Kenya Harlequin), who had been endorsed by Kenya Cup caucus, emerged victorious.

Mugambi successfully retained his director post (Communication) as his national squads and elite performance counterpart Oscar Mango finished fifth with 23 votes.

Kamau gathered 46 votes followed by Mugambi (38), Olendo (37) and Owour (33) respectively.
The five officials join the quartet of Thomas Opiyo (Vice-chairman) Oduor Gangla (Secretary), John Kilonzo and Moses Ndale (Directors) who were in office in 2016.

Meanwhile, Six Grenoble rugby players including two Irishmen, two New Zealanders and an Australian, were detained Wednesday following a rape complaint, prosecutors said.

Prop Denis Coulson and centre Chris Farrel, both from Ireland, Australian lock Peter Kimlin and New Zealander back row men Rory Grice and Dylan Hayes, were detained along with French hooker Loick Jammes and questioned following a complaint by a young woman that she had been raped by the players after meeting them at a nightclub in Bordeaux following their Top 14 match against Bordeaux-Begles on Saturday, March 11.

Bordeaux police investigating the complaint following the match were dispatched to Grenoble to carry out the questioning of the players who arrived at the police station there at 8:40 am (0740 GMT) on Wednesday.

On Friday, Grenoble sacked the players who were under investigation without releasing their identities.

The alleged victim of the attack told police she met several Grenoble players in a nightclub after the club’s Top 14 defeat in Bordeaux.