Andrew Owor’s Rugby Africa leadership aspiration a concern for KRU

Later this month, Rugby Africa will go to polls to bring an end to
Abdelaziz Bougja’s seventeen-year reign at the first ever Rugby Africa Summit.

The February 27 to March 2 gathering in Marrakech, Morocco will be a pivotal moment for African rugby with three major events that include an executive committee meeting, training workshops, and the 13th General Assembly.

Over 30 presidents from the different African rugby federations will be in attendance, with a new executive to be elected during the General Assembly.

Interested in the vice-presidency is Kenya Rugby Union chairman Richard Omwela and, reportedly, Uganda Rugby Union president Andrew Owor.

However, Omwela is not pleased with Owor trying to front himself for the position of vice presiden, saying unions of Anglophone countries had planned to front one candidate as reported by Kenyan online publication RagaHouse.

“Uganda have held this position before and it was agreed among us that this position should go to either Kenya, Zimbabwe or Namibia but we as Anglo-Africans feel Owuor’s move to vie as an insult,” Omwela is quoted as saying.

Omwela whose term as KRU chairman comes to an end in March has openly expressed his desire for the vice-presidency of Rugby Africa where he has been on the Executive Committee for the last eight years.

If Owor carries on with his reported ambitions, it will jeopardise the relationship between the two countries as far as the sport in concerned according to Omwela.

“If he (Owor) decides to carry on, then there will be no meaning of why we’ve been at the ExCo for the last eight years. All changes we’ve been trying to bring will have gone to nothing,” Omwela says.

“I will not even seek any other position if carries on. Kenya and Uganda will never be a thing again.”

Kenya and Uganda have been playing against each other in the annual Elgon Cup, and there are several Ugandans turning out for Kenya Cup clubs.

Philip Wokorach, Aaron Ofoyrwoth, Solomon Okia, Jasper Ochen, Scot Oluoch, Asuman Mugerwa, Eliphaz Emong, James Odong, Saul Kivumbi and Daudi Semwami are the Ugandans currently turning out for Kenya Cup sides.