This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
On Thursday, a group of auctioneers arrived unannounced at the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) secretariat in Nairobi, sparking a dramatic scene as they carted away property worth millions of shillings.
The auctioneers, representing a client seeking to recover a Sh4 million debt extended to the Union, were met with a mixture of shock and resignation from KRU officials.
According to KRU chairman Gangla Oduor, the debt had accumulated for services rendered to the men's national sevens rugby team in its preparations for international assignments.
"It is an old debt. The incident is unfortunate but there is nothing we could do," Oduor explained, adding that the Union sometimes accesses facilities on credit and faces such incidents when the government fails to pay on time.
Multiple sources revealed that the Sh4 million debt had ballooned to Sh10 million after additional charges, including legal fees and interests, were added.
On the day of the auction, about ten men arrived in a lorry and saloon car, with the lorry driving into the premises while the saloon car was parked at the gate.
"Their leader explained to us that they have not come to fight and asked us to excuse ourselves," a staffer recalled.
The auctioneers took away several computers, office accessories, and even the Union's official car.
With an additional Sh75 million debt, KRU officials are bracing themselves for more such incidents, as the Union struggles to meet its expenses.
Despite submitting an annual budget of Sh195 million to the government for expenses of four national teams, less than half of that was approved, and only Sh4 million has been paid.
