The Kenya Rugby Union(KRU) has asked the Government to rescind its decision suspending sporting activities in the country.
On March 26, 2021 President Uhuru Kenyatta suspended all sporting activities in the country as part of measures to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
In a statement sent to media houses and also published on its official website on Tuesday 6 April, the KRU says that the country has been dealt a big blow through the suspension of sports.
“We have subjected players and match officials in the Kenya Cup league to regular testing and have taken the necessary steps inclusive of contact tracing and re-testing in incidences where players test positive for COVID-19. We have gone as far as postponing fixtures in instances that we felt posed a greater health and safety risk. We have been prepared, and remain prepared to run the game during this trying time.”
This comes just a day after the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) through its president Nick Mwendwa asked the government to reconsider its decision, arguing that they had done enough to ensure that everyone's safety was a priority during league matches. Mwendwa also disclosed that already one sponsor was threatening to walk out if the current situation prevails.
For Rugby, it was all about the halt of momentum, the Kenya Cup had just started, the 7s team was already in camp in preparation for the Olympics and other leagues were scheduled to start.
The Union argues that it will take time for those participating in contact sport to regain shape due to the sudden halt.
“After the long break, players had just started getting into shape. With another possibly prolonged break, we will lose all the gains and ultimately be uncompetitive in the upcoming international assignments,” said the union.
“Sports federations have worked tirelessly to resume activity under the laid down guidelines. Many young men and women are additionally making a living off sport and have been denied opportunities to engage in meaningful income-generating activities.
“The suspension came at a time when Kenyan rugby was picking up after a year of inactivity occasioned by the initial lockdown and ensuing factors critical to getting the Government green light to return to play. This period of inactivity came at a cost. We lost revenues due to event cancellations, most notably the Rugby Africa Barthes U20 Trophy, the National Sevens Circuit and the Safari Sevens,” a statement from KRU said.
At the time of the league’s suspension, KRU had conducted a total of 1,551 COVID-19 PCR tests, 44 of which returned positive results. This makes for a 2.8 percent prevalence rate.
“We have subjected players and match officials in the Kenya Cup league to regular testing and have taken the necessary steps inclusive of contact tracing and re-testing in incidences where players test positive for COVID-19.”