KRU Chairman Sasha Mutai explains in detail wrangles plaguing union
Reading Time: 4min | Tue. 11.03.25. | 18:12
Mutai linked the turmoil to motions filed by Mwamba RFC ahead of the KRU Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Monday, 24 March 2025
A fresh leadership wrangle emerged at the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU), with an impromptu board meeting held on Thursday, March 6, allegedly "suspending" Chairman Alexander Sasha Mutai.
However, Mutai has strongly refuted the move, asserting that due process was not followed and that he remains the legitimate chairman.
"I am still the chairman. They say I am suspended. I saw a letter from the ‘acting chairperson,’ who is the Union’s Vice Chairman, Moses Ndale. However, all this is null and void because the process was not followed," Mutai declared during his interview on Sporty Monday.
The former KRU Vice Chairman emphasized that the KRU constitution, alongside the Sports Act, outlines clear procedures for decision-making. According to him, the Union holds monthly board meetings every second Monday of the month, and the latest meeting was convened unlawfully.
"Last week, the secretary called for a board meeting, and he has no power to do so. That was a ‘Kamukunji.’ Anything discussed there is null and void,” the visibly confident Mutai said.
Mutai linked the turmoil to motions filed by Mwamba RFC ahead of the KRU Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Monday, 24 March 2025.
The club submitted three notices of motion just before the deadline (three minutes to midnight), including a vote of no confidence in the secretary and vice chairman, as well as a declaration on the tenure of the treasurer and director factors.
Another motion was submitted by Homeboyz RFC on Monday, despite the deadline having already passed. Mutai expressed his surprise at how the club’s chairman managed to have the motion included, questioning why it was accepted beyond the set timeframe.
Mutai described the club chairman as “a man with a question on character,” implying concerns over the integrity of the process.
"These motions were sent three minutes to midnight. I think emotions came in, and then another motion came in from Homeboyz on Monday.
The Chairman of Homeboyz has a question on character—people in rugby know who he is. His motion came in after time, yet I saw yesterday that they have included it. Now, this was targeted at me,” he averred.
Mutai further revealed that he had been locked out of KRU operations, including emails and accounts, just as he was preparing for key meetings with potential sponsors.
"My lawyers are on it because I have been blocked from everything. We have meetings with potential sponsors this week; we have Safaricom hosting the girls, so my lawyers are on it. This is unconstitutional, and they have to follow the constitution,” he said.
Addressing accusations that he operates as a lone ranger, Mutai refuted the claims, stating that all Union matters are discussed and shared within committees. He pointed to KRU’s growing sponsorship portfolio as evidence of his effective leadership.
"We have six committees. We have about Ksh90 million from a betting firm and Ksh109 million from Safaricom, which will increase if the women’s team is promoted. We are also in talks with KCB and Tusker, who are returning after being mistreated by the Union’s agent.
I was focused on fixing these relationships with the sponsors, and you can see they are coming back in droves,” he stated.
He went on to highlight financial mismanagement within the Union, stating that KRU has been sued by its secretary and his law firm for fees. However, he credited his administration for saving the Union over Ksh20 million by engaging reputable legal counsel.
"It is basically about money. If I stop the gravy train… With our lawyers, we brought in a very reputable firm—LGA Associates—who have represented KRU in court, and we have won cases. We were being sued for over Ksh20 million in fees, and we have saved KRU that money,” he offered.
With the AGM fast approaching, the fate of Mutai’s leadership now rests in the hands of KRU affiliates. Should the vote of no confidence against him succeed, it could trigger a major leadership overhaul at the Union.
The infighting comes at a critical time for Kenyan rugby, as the sport experiences significant progress both on and off the pitch.
Safaricom’s sponsorship through its mobile money service, M-Pesa, has been a key boost, while on the field, the Lionesses recently won back-to-back HSBC Challenger Series titles in South Africa, and Shujaa is back in the HSBC Series, fighting to maintain their status.
The Kenya Simbas are also preparing for the World Cup qualifiers in July, while the Kenya U20 national team, Chipu, are racing against time to defend their Barthes U20 Trophy title in April.
