“I thought it was a joke when the secretary told me to hand in my resignation after the World Rugby Sevens championship in Bordeaux,” Andrew Amonde who was relieved from his role as a strength and conditioning coach of the Kenya seven-a-side rugby team recalled.

Exclusively speaking to www.thesportsnewsarena.com from Nairobi after this portal broke the news on Thursday, Amonde said he was surprised. “When I signed my contract with the national team, there was no clause stating I should not be affiliated to any club while in the national team’s technical bench,” he explained.

The clause which appears to be selectively applied was only invoked in a letter by KRU addressed to the former Shujaa captain. He named a  number of individuals who held coaching roles with their clubs and still coached at any capacity in any of the national teams.

Competitive Environment

While appearing very relaxed but perplexed, Amonde hinted that there were people who were not appreciative of the role he played at Shujaa which was over and above that of his official role. As a long-serving player, Amonde understood the competitive environment and was also comfortable in talking to other teams.

When asked whether he was not happy with the decision, Amonde replied that he was relieved the decision was made before the team started training. “For some reason, some individuals at KRU appeared to question my loyalty and professional approach while at Shujaa. I did not have a divided loyalty and neither did I influence the selection of KCB players to Shujaa,” the coach offered.

Also, Amonde’s departure was not on the discussion table during the start of the WR Championship. “We were focused on qualifying to the top tier and that was the discussion,” he added. All that changed after a meeting between him, the secretary and KRU chairperson. Whether the topic was discussed at a KRU board meeting remains a mystery.

KRU Unhappy

Amonde also remembers an incident where KRU were unhappy with KCB players who had opted to play in a Kenya Cup game despite following the laid down protocols. His departure from Shujaa was a no-brainer if he was forced to make a choice. “I am just disappointed that KRU said the decision was in accordance with WR regulations. I wish the players and technical bench a successful campaign this season,” Amonde added.

When asked if he could have chosen to concentrate on his role at Shujaa or KCB, Amonde said that was an easy choice because the bankers offered more job security and had many benefits that included his family. “As much as I would have loved to remain at Shujaa, KCB, has stability.”

As a family man, KCB offered Amonde attractive benefits which were confidential but much better than that of KRU. To put this in perspective, a KRU director admitted it was unlikely they could match some of the benefits Amonde enjoyed at KCB.

Exclusive Contracts

A comment on X could not have explained the situation better. “How does KRU intend to enforce exclusive contracts for coaches when its cash flow is shaky and salary arrears remain a perennial problem? Before demanding exclusivity, shouldn’t KRU first demonstrate it can reliably pay the coaches it wants to lock down?”

Amonde already informed the players of the KRU decision. “I did not want them to hear from a third party. I will miss mentoring the players as we had planned to come back stronger after the WR championship debacle. The players were disappointed but this beyond their scope,” Amonde explained.

For now, his wish to play a big role in Shujaa has been nipped in the bud. “Good luck to whoever is appointed,” he concluded.