Bidding for IRB leg: Rugby Bid Committee gets to work and appoints working team to bring HSBC event to Kenya

BY FEVERPITCH TEAM

LEFT: Collins Injera in a past IRB Series. RIGHT: Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore. [PHOTOS: FILE / STANDARD]

Kenya has officially kick-started its bid to host one of the HSBC Sevens World Series for the 2014/15 season.

This was revealed yesterday during a high-level meeting which brought majority of stakeholders together.

A Kenya Bid Steering Committee was set up, comprising top Government officials and corporate chiefs.

Bob Collymore, the Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom Limited, the country’s main sponsors of Sevens Rugby, hosted the invited panel at the Michael Joseph Centre in Westlands, Nairobi. The committee is set to start work immediately with their first meeting early next week.

Colymore and Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman, Mwangi Muthee, said the bid could only be successful “if all Kenyans, from the very top to the bottom, support it.”

The IRB (International Rugby Board) will be expanding the World Series from the current nine rounds to 10 or up to 12 rounds beginning in the 2014/15 season. Among other expected bidders to be included in the expanded roster are: Singapore, Buenos Aires, Paris and Rome.

Kenya hope that their 17-year-old annual international tournament – the Safaricom Sevens – will get a fair nod from IRB decision makers come the conclusion of the 2013/2014 HSBC World Sevens Series season.

Convincing bid

Muthee said: “The absolute backing of our sponsors Safaricom, makes the KRU confident that the country will work on a convincing bid. But almost everything hinges on the practical support of the Government and the people of Kenya.”

Taking charge in Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts will be Cabinet Secretary Dr Hassan Wario’s representative, Ambassador Ann Nyikuli.

Muthee said the Government understood the huge gains the country will have if the Safaricom Sevens are included in the World Series boosting Kenya’s tourism, trade and positive publicity.

“The World Series have a global audience across 149 countries and 38 broadcasters air the Series “live” to 390 million homes.”

The local broadcast partners of the KRU, Zuku Sports of the Wananchi Group are airing “live” matches and other shows in the current season.

Bid committee members

Bob Collymore – CEO Safaricom Ltd, Prof Githu Muigai – Attorney General, Dr Hassan Wario – Cabinet Secretary Sports, Arts and Culture, Dr Evans Kidero – Governor Nairobi County, David Kimaiyo – Inspector General of  Police, Dr Titus Naikuni – CEO Kenya Airways, Dr  Kipchoge Keino – Chairman, National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), Dr James Mwangi – Chairman Vision 2030, Kiprono Kittony – Chairman, Media Owners Association, Mary Kimonye – CEO, Brand Kenya, Kitili Mbathi – Chairman, Kenya Tourism Board, Jaideep S Vohra - Chairman, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers.

Already seconded by stake holders to the Working Committee:

Amb Ann B Nyikuli (Director of Administration, Ministry of Sport), Christine A Agimba (Deputy Solicitor General), Christopher Khaemba (Minister of Youth and Sport, Nairobi City County Government), Rita Okuthe (Director – Marketing, Safaricom Limited), Zaheeda Suleman (Head of Department  - Events & Sponsorships), Rose Asiimwe (National Brand Manager, Brand Kenya); Margaret Ireri (IPSOS Synovate), Gabriel Komora (CEO Sports Stadia Management Board), Peter Omwenga (Senior Manager, Media and Activations), Gary Rathbone (Head of Sport, Zuku Sports and Wananchi Group), Eric Ochola (Head of Department – Branding, Safaricom Limited), Sasha Mutai (Vice-chairman, KRU),  Gabriel Ouko (KRU), Jack Okoth (KRU), Godwin Karuga (KRU).

Rita Okuthe will chairs the Working Committee.