Kenyan sports minister orders reinstatement of Sevens coach

REACTION: Kenyan sports minister Rashid Echesa ordered for the reinstatement of national Sevens coach Innocent Simiyu following his sacking this week.

Simiyu, who led Kenya to two finals in the World Rugby Sevens Series this season, was fired by the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) after he took full responsibility for his players’ publicly protesting against unpaid salaries during the series’ final leg in Paris earlier this month.

Simiyu’s dismissal came in the wake of the decision by the government to withdraw sponsorship for the team, throwing Kenya’s preparations for next month’s Rugby World Cup Sevens into disarray.

But in the mediation talks between the minister and KRU, it was decided that the ministry would work with the federation on the pending payments of salaries and allowances.

The Rugby Sevens World Cup, involving 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams, takes place in San Francisco between July 20-22.

Agence France-Presse