Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Board has appointed Thomas Odundo as Chief Executive Officer.
Odundo, who had been serving in an acting capacity, was officially confirmed in a decision effective from July 2024.
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Prior to his appointment as CEO, Odundo served as the Director of Rugby at KRU for eight years, where he oversaw the operations of the National teams, local leagues, and tournaments.
Thomas Odundo background
Odundo has an extensive background in rugby, having obtained his Level One and Two coaching certificates in 1998 and 2001, respectively.
He coached the Kenya Simbas from June 2004 to June 2006, during which the team improved from Position 49 to 37 in the IRB World Rankings and reached the second round of World Cup Qualifiers for the first time.
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Affectionately known as T.O., Odundo, during his tenure as Director of Rugby, played a pivotal role in the Kenya Sevens’ qualification for the Tokyo and Paris Olympic games.
He also led the Kenya U20 team to victory in the Barthes Trophies in 2019 and 2024, resulting in qualifications for the World Rugby U20 Trophy in Brazil and Scotland, respectively.
Additionally, under his leadership, the Kenya Lionesses 15s team qualified for the inaugural WXV3 tournament in 2023.
Thomas Odundo’s gratitude
Expressing his gratitude, Odundo said, “I’m grateful to the KRU board for showing confidence in me and will do the job to the best of my ability. Being from within the setup, I fully understand the environment and am under no illusions about the task at hand. I will rely on the support of the able secretariat, the board, and all Kenyans who love the game of rugby—the fans, spectators, clubs, players, match officials, all technical persons involved, as well as sponsors and the Government of Kenya who greatly enable the game to be played. Thank you very much.”
Odundo is a certified Coach Educator and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton. He also has extensive experience as an ICT practitioner, having worked in various companies
