Crisis In Rugby: Wrangling and intrigues of tenders force Muthee to walk away from the sport

“To run away from trouble is a form of cowardice and, while it is true that the suicide braves death, he does it not for some noble object but to escape some ill,” so said Greek philosopher, Aristotle.

Such is the urgency with which Kenya Rugby Union chairman, Mwangi Muthee, walked away from the union yesterday.

The fall out at KRU was always on the cards. Yet even in the wildest of imaginations few ever thought

Muthee would throw in the towel. After the slaughter of his young and inexperienced charges in the IRB Sevens rugby, leading to the departure of reputed South African coach, Paul Treu, there was little left for Muthee.

But this ranked lowest in his decision to quit. Instead, he came out pointing a big finger at unnamed members of his board, who made his stay a nightmare for him in the last two of the four years he has been there.

In his resignation letter, Muthee accused some KRU board members of derailing his agenda of driving the game further, adding their integrity “was not beyond reproach, threatening to bring the game into disrepute”.

According to Muthee, the affairs at the union have been so bad that sponsors have constantly raised questions about some board members’ involvement in grave issues of conflict of interest in the supplying of kit to the KRU and rugby fraternity.

While singling out questionable procurement of airline tickets worth tens of millions of shillings, Muthee also questioned hotel accommodation contracts and many other inflated bills that he said were done outside established KRU channels.

He also stated the rot at KRU degenerated to the level of some board members using unbecoming and insulting language against the senior management of the union’s major sponsors.

Board hurdles

The statement read in part: “I was committed to a full probe into these matters and towards a correction. But the democratic process of running the board benefited possible culprits who could influence part of the membership to scuttle those attempts. But I persisted. This will remain on record and a blot on the suspects.”

So, who could be the suspects Muthee alluded to? A member of KRU board speaking on grounds of anonymity to Fever Pitch poured cold water on Muthee’s allegations as a mere public relations exercise.

“Why on earth would a chairman question decisions made by his close associates and friends? Let him tell us something different or shut up and go in peace. It is on record that Muthee sent Godwin to Sri Lanka to procure tickets for Safaricom Sevens, why again would he question that?” posed our source making reference to Godwin Karuga who resigned from the KRU board earlier this week.

More rot

Fever pitch has established that the rot at KRU goes far and beyond the problems bedeviling the Sevens national team. Muthee’s tribulations began after midterm elections in 2014, which saw the election of Philip Jalang’o as the Vice Chairman. Jalang’o had previously differed with Muthee while serving as the union’s Director of National Squads & Elite Performance.

In May 2013, Jalang’o fired Kenya Sevens English tactician Mike Friday, a move that saw him suspended from office. Walter Onchari, the chairman of Kisii Falcons Rugby Club while commenting on Muthee’s resignation said the KRU has now been presented with an opportunity to ‘clean their house and let suspicious characters leave’.

“If you have people who openly meddle in the coaching of the national teams, then that is a problem. The union now needs Mwangi’s replacement but Jalang’o is not your solution to the problems. He (Jalang’o) has a number of rugby partners and suppliers lamenting over his involvement in procurement deals that Mwangi has complained about,” Onchari told Fever Pitch.

Another twist to the resignation was claims that a number of suppliers and traders who provided services to the 2014 Safaricom Sevens tournament are yet to be paid.

KRU’s Secretary General Eddie Omondi said KRU Board will discuss Muthee’s resignation and elect an interim chair soon.