• Plans are underway to revive the Kenya Rugby Limited, which will be the financing arm of Kenya Rugby Union.
• The sport will be devolved to other venues.
Image: ERICK BARASA
Whoever doubted Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) boss Oduor Gangla is the perfect driver to take the sport to the next level should take time to listen to his vision.
Just two months into the job, things are beginning to happen and if his vision is anything to go by, the rugby future looks bright.
Of course, it’s not like he will streamline things in a month but the kind of structures he is putting in place are strong enough to hold the game for the next couple of years.
And going by his profession, we have no reason to doubt the man, who describes himself as a rugby man, will deliver at the end of it all.
Gangla is the chief executive officer of Genghis Capital, a company that deals with investment banking. Rugby may just have fallen into safe hands.
The man is a chartered financial analyst and Certified Public Accountant of Kenya. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree from Kenyatta University.
He joined Genghis Capital in August 2016 as chief executive from Pamoja Capital, where he had been managing director and group head of corporate finance.
Gangla has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, having worked on a number of landmark cross-border M&A and financing deals involving businesses with operations in more than 30 African countries.
Gangla served as a coach to the various Impala age-grade categories before being elected as chairman of Impala Club and guiding the team to runner-up position in the 2015-16 Kenya Cup. He was elected secretary of the KRU, where he served for two years before his elevation to the position of chairman two months ago
He worked in South Africa between 2003 and 2006 and in Nigeria in 2007, where he acquired a genuine appreciation of business opportunities, transaction origination and execution across the three major business hubs in Africa.
His areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital raising, project finance and corporate finance.
His love for rugby goes way back, when he was a student at Mangu High School. He played for Mean Machine and Blak Blad in the mid-1990s and later decamped to Impala, where was part of the side that won the Kenya Cup between 2000 and 2002 as well as the Enterprise Cup.
Some of the famous players he played with at Impala include former Kenya Sevens skipper and coach Benjamin Ayimba, Fred Ollows, Bill Odongo, Charles Ngovi, Phillip Mwenesi and Vincent Makanga, among others.
Gangla served as a coach to the various Impala age-grade categories before being elected as chairman of Impala Club and guiding the team to runner-up position in the 2015-16 Kenya Cup.
He was elected secretary of the KRU, where he served for two years before his elevation to the position of chairman two months ago.
In an interview, Gangla said one of the key steps taken since his election is a reconstitution of the board. Peris Mukoko and Wangui Kibe have been brought in as directors.
“We are keen to have a board that reflects the spirit of rugby as a sport for all men, women, boys and girls. The two ladies have, through the quality of their rugby contribution and enduring commitment, proven that they will add value to the governance of the sport. It’s a one-year co-option,” he added.
“Kui [Wangui], for instance, has been involved in the management of most of the Safari 7s tournaments since inception in 1996 or rather for 23 years. Peris was the first woman world rugby match officials’ educator and is a former Kenya international.”
Gangla said plans are underway to revive the Kenya Rugby Limited, which will be the financing arm of the union, to generate funding for the various national teams and at the same time commercialise the sport.
“Finance is key and I believe with this entity, we can go a long way in addressing issues to do with sponsorships and making the sport more attractive as well as supporting our various national teams,” he said.
A key campaign pillar for Gangla was the development of coaches through a training and education initiative. “We have had a couple of seminars in Kakamega and Nakuru and next month we will have one in Kisumu to precede the Elgon Cup match with Uganda,” he added.
The sport of rugby has grown over the years and we appreciate the fans are not only in Nairobi but in several parts of the country. It’s good we will have a test match in Kisumu next month and we expect hundreds of fans to attend.Gangla
On schools rugby, Gangla said they have launched Prescott Cup in Western Kenya and they will soon take the competition to other counties, including Eastern, Nyanza and Coast.
He said the Prescott Cup will be used as a yardstick to pick the Kenya Schools Select team that will act as a feeder programme for the Kenya Under-20 side popularly known as Chipu.
Gangla said the sport will be devolved to other venues, and hosting of the Elgon Cup match between Kenya and Uganda in Kisumu next month is part of the scheme.
“The sport of rugby has grown over the years and we appreciate the fans are not only in Nairobi but in several parts of the country. It’s good we will have a test match in Kisumu next month and we expect hundreds of fans to attend,” he said.
The KRU supremo congratulated Western Bulls and Kisumu for promotion to the top tier, Kenya Cup. With the promotion, five out of the 12 teams in the Kenya Cup will be from outside Nairobi.
The two join Kabras, Nakuru and Menengai Oilers in the top flight.
“It’s very positive for the sport meaning the fans will be able to see more rugby being played in the Western and Nyanza region," Gangla said.
"How I wish we can have a team from Central, Eastern and Mombasa to compliment whatever we have.”
Gangla said the board would re-look at the strategic plan 2017-2022 and align it to the board’s needs and priorities.