This archive report was first published on 8 May 2021.
Former Kenya Sevens Rugby Team captain Benjamin Ayimba's health has taken a turn for the better, with his family confirming that he has regained consciousness and been transferred to the private wing of Kenyatta National Hospital.
However, the family is now facing a new challenge - raising Ksh 2.9 million to offset the outstanding medical bills, which include Ksh 1.6 million for Avenue hospital and Ksh 1.3 million for Kenyatta National Hospital.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier donated Ksh 1 million to help cater for Ayimba's medical bill, but the family is still in need of additional funds to cover the outstanding balance.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has taken to social media to urge other politicians to chip in and help raise the funds needed to support Ayimba's family.
"Let's keep at it. Thank you H.E Uhuru for the ksh1 M. Kindly Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi join in," Sakaja tweeted.
Ayimba, who is celebrated for his role in sports, served as the country's Rugby team captain in the Kenya Sevens and 15s team and was first appointed Shujaa head coach in 2006.
He led the country to its first World Series Cup Final in Adelaide, Australia in 2009, where the team lost to South Africa.
Ayimba made a comeback in 2015 and in 2016, Kenya recorded its first tournament win in the World Rugby Sevens Series after beating Fiji at the 2016 Singapore Sevens under his leadership.
He was appointed as a technical director of the Rugby League Federation in 2020, tasked with developing Kenya Rugby League technical status at all levels and formulation of a high-performance plan for players, coaches, referees, and officials.
