Ex-captain Aura cautiously welcomes Okach's appointment as KRU chief

Okach was elected as the chairperson in a closed door session on Thursday night ahead of Vice Chairman Moses Ndale and Rugby 15s director Moses Mukabane who had also been proposed.

Among those weighing in on the change is former Kenya Lioness captain Sinaida Aura, a long-time advocate for better governance and accountability in the sport.

While speaking to Citizen Digital, the former captain welcomed the leadership change cautiously, choosing not to focus on the gender milestone but rather on the pressing need for reform.

”The current state of the game speaks for itself.”

”We’ve heard countless promises and statements over time. In my view, it’s limiting and even unfair to reduce the future of rugby in Kenya to gender alone,” said Aura.

“What we truly need are comprehensive reforms that restore integrity and accountability in governance, whether by man or woman.”

Her sentiments comes after a turbulent period under Sasha Mutai’s administration, who struggled to solidify cohesion among the KRU board - especially in his second year of the shortlived tenure.

Amid the mixed reactions by rugby enthusiasts on the new leadership, the former skipper said it’s important to look at the bigger picture.

”Whoever steps into leadership must be willing to set aside personal interests and genuinely serve the game.”

“Without that selflessness and vision, we’ll continue spinning in circles for years to come.”

The former captain remained reserved about whether Okach’s appointment would lead to meaningful change in women’s rugby.

” I’m indifferent to who is in charge. My focus is solely on the future of the game. That’s what matters most.

“Only time will tell whether this leadership will bring about the change we desperately need.”

Okach joins Badminton Jane Pinto (Badminton), Rose Cheche (Netball) and Zehra Janmohamed (cricket ) as the only women to lead sports federations in Kenya.