Union says 'No' to SGM: KRU cite defective petitions for refusal as board member urges it to give clubs a hearing

KENYA RUGBY UNION SECRETARY GENERAL EDDIE OMONDI. PICTURE BY GOVEDI ASUTSA

The Kenya Rugby Union has said there will be no Special General Meeting today due to "fatally defective" petitions by clubs even as a member of the board urged his colleagues to go ahead with it and give clubs a hearing.

Eddie Omondi, KRU secretary general, said only one club, Stormers RFC, met the threshold for a valid petition, while the rest (19) had defective petitions due to missing signatures and others withdrew support for the SGM. Egerton University, Moi University, Kisumu RFC and Kakamega RFC, he said, had withdrawn their support for the SGM. He attached their letters withdrawing support for the SGM.

He also said Clause 12.3.3 bestows the powers to convene an SGM solely on the Board of the Union.

"Further, Clause 12.3.4. provides for a 14-day notice period and requirement to send the notice to all members. It is unlawful that an affiliate can purport to issue a notice convening an SGM. Even if we were to consider the notice (which we are not) it also remains defective on account of time and notice to entire union membership," he said.

"As such no union SGM has been convened by the board. None shall take place on February 10, 2015 at the RFUEA Grounds at 4pm," he ruled.
However, a member of the Board, who did not want to be named because he is still serving in the Union, said clubs are raising "very pertinent issues that need to be addressed."

"I don't know why some of us are afraid of this SGM. Rugby is on trial. We have lost the moral right to run it. We need a total overhaul of the Board rather than piecemeal changes," he said.

"It is in public domain that some of us have not done what we were elected to do. Some bad things have happened. Some people among us have conducted themselves very irresponsibly and this has made us and the sport look pretty bad. It is time we all went home and a new board put in place," he said.

 

BOARD SWEPT ASIDE

His view was corroborated by Walter Orangi, player/chairman of Kisii Falcons RFC, who said the board should be swept aside, an interim committee put in place to work with the secretariat for one month before elections are called.

"It is so painful that sponsors are threatening to pull out and the board is so polarised that even the former chairman could not manage to implement certain policies," said Orangi, also a member of Kisii RFC.

"Some members have been benefiting from the sport instead of serving it and there is too much interference with the technical bench. Safaricom Safari Sevens made a loss of Sh50 million because fans could not attend a tournament where the home team were being whipped," he opined.

The union has lost four top officials in the past two months, with chairman Mwangi Muthee, Godwin Karuga, Peninah Wahome and Maurice Masiga turning their back on the union.

Gabriel Ouko is now acting as chairman while still holding the treasurer's post. Other officials remaining are Phillip Jalango (vice chair), Dennis Ombui (National Squads), Pauline Nzisa (women's rugby), Ray Dawa, Pape Sembi and Kadieda Ogutu.