Mombasa, KENYA: Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has canceled the Sh20m sponsorship for the national men’s rugby sevens team Shujaa.
Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday, the CS blamed the team for embarrassing the country by blocking ‘Make it Kenya’ brand during the last leg of the World Sevens Series held in Paris, France earlier this month.
According to an insider, the playing unit resolved to conceal the brand to protest against Sh.4 million payments they were demanding from the Kenya Rugby Union.
In its response, KRU promised to settle the dues once it receives money from Brand Kenya, a statement that was met with controversy as the sponsors claimed they had remitted the said amount of money to the union.
The Government sanction now worsens the situation bearing in mind that players are yet to receive their dues with the union claiming to be in financial crisis.
The union had last week threatened to pull out Shujaa from next month’s Rugby 7s World Cup in San Francisco, United States citing lack of funds.
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